August 16, 2017

17 Ways to Prevent Employee Burnout

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) recently published an article on how to prevent employee burnout.

After a 2016 survey of 615 Human Resources (HR) professionals pointed to unfair compensation, unreasonable workloads and poor management as chief contributors to the problem of employee burnout. The article addresses ways to relieve stress, adjust workloads, and build relationships. Jeff Oliver, PHR, SHRM-CP, Director of Employee Relations at Landmark Health speaks to promoting balance:

Don’t just promote work/life balance, live it. We shut down early before holidays and have “unplugged” initiatives companywide. Each office has a designated “mindfulness space,” which often features a small water element, low lighting, cozy furniture and, most importantly, a technology-free spot to be by yourself.

We encourage active participation in mindfulness-related activities as well as provide company-paid subscriptions to mindfulness apps. Some locations offer yoga, guided meditation and mindfulness exercises such as Action for Happiness.

That said, we are also very clear with prospective hires about the demands of our work. My organization has 510 employees and is still in the startup phase. Being transparent about the amount of energy that will be required is key so that people can decide for themselves if they’re all in.

Preventing burnout is a responsibility to be shared by employees and company leaders. Both need to commit for it to work.”

SHRM asked 18 HR Professionals across the world to share what works best for their teams, here are the findings:

  1. Hold Walking Meetings (Berkeley County School District, Moncks Corner, SC)
  2. Take Mental Health Days (WESTMED Practice Partners, Purchase, NY)
  3. Value Vacations (Nexonia, Toronto, Canada)
  4. Try At-Home ‘Hump Days’ (Mojo Media Labs, Irving, TX)
  5. Be Proactive (Integra Staffing & Search, Charlotte, NC)
  6. Promote Balance (Landmark Health, Huntington Beach, CA)
  7. Create Fair Workloads (UBM India Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai, India)
  8. Monitor Scheduling (MC Machinery Systems, Inc., Elk Grove Village, IL)
  9. Don’t Add Stress (Vision Financial Services, Kabul, Afghanistan)
  10. Weigh Priorities (Illinois Tool Works Inc., Glenview, IL)
  11. Train Managers (HR Consultant, Charlotte, NC)
  12. Kill Arbitrary Rules (World Evolve Inc., Miami, FL)
  13. Solicit Ideas (Sparta Systems, Hamilton, NJ)
  14. Cultivate Fairness and Balance (Employer Flexible, Plano, TX)
  15. Encourage Friendships (Double M Training and Consulting, Calgary, Canada)
  16. Get Personal (Avanti’s Ristorantes, Peoria, IL)
  17. Make the Little Things Count (Smithfield Foods, San Jose, CA)
  18. Party with a Purpose (Igneous Systems Inc., Seattle, WA)

At Landmark, we are building a unique and extraordinary culture of team members who are compassionate and excited to drive real and meaningful change by providing high-quality care in a collaborative team environment.

If you seek a highly rewarding career where you can do your most inspired work, we encourage you to visit www.landmarkhealth.org/join-our-team to learn more and view opportunities in your area of expertise and passion.