What Are the Best Solutions to Workplace Stress and Burnout?

What To Do When Employees Are Feeling Burned Out

Despite the end of the year being a time of holidays and celebrations, it can actually cause quite a bit of stress. During Q4, businesses face seasonal demands, holiday scheduling, financial pressure to meet revenue targets, and more. All of this can lead to burnout and mental health struggles. As a manager, now is the perfect time to help your employees and offer solutions so they can get through this stressful time in a healthy way. 

What Is Employee Burnout?

Employees who face job burnout feel emotionally and physically exhausted and discouraged due to work-related stressors. They may become cynical and detached, and you could notice a decrease in productivity. Often, these employees also face a work-life imbalance that can be caused by burnout and also lead to more burnout symptoms. 

What Are The Symptoms of Job Burnout?

There are several physical and mental symptoms of job burnout. Here’s what you can pay attention to as a leader in the workplace to determine if your employees are being affected:

• Does the employee seem compelled to work harder and prove themselves? While this seems positive at first, it can be an early warning sign of job burnout.
• Is the employee neglecting their personal needs? By staying later at work, skipping breaks, and never speaking about their life outside of work, you may notice the beginning of a work-life imbalance.
• Has the employee seemed to be withdrawing from work? Is their behavior changing? Are they having trouble connecting with others? These are all signs of burnout.

When you know how to spot employee burnout, you can also figure out how to prevent stress at the office so this doesn’t become an ongoing problem.

How To Help Employees Dealing With Burnout

Employee burnout isn’t inevitable. There are plenty of ways to reduce stress at work so burnout doesn’t occur.

Encourage Employees to Create a Healthy Work-Life Balance

Offering flexible work arrangements and encouraging employees to use their PTO can help them balance their work life with their personal life. Also, set boundaries around working hours so employees don’t overwork, and be understanding when personal issues arise so they feel comfortable discussing their needs with you.

Set Clear Expectations

By establishing clear expectations regarding their roles, employees won’t feel the need to continually work harder and harder to make you happy. When workers know what’s expected of them in terms of communication, deadlines, workload, and working hours, they can manage their time and prioritize tasks.

Manage the Expectations of Other Departments 

It’s important that other departments don’t put demands on your team members that will cause stress. For example, don’t let employees from another department ask your team members to perform work while they’re on their lunch break. By filtering the requests of other departments, you protect your team.

Recognize Hard Work

Recognizing an employee’s hard work tells them that they’re doing a good job and takes the pressure off of thinking they have to do more. Whether it’s through verbal recognition, leaving them a note of appreciation, offering a holiday bonus, or giving them a logo-branded gift, make a point of showing your gratitude. 

Practice Active Listening 

Let your employees know that you’re available to listen if they need to be heard. Invite people in for one-on-one meetings to ask about how things are going and if they have any concerns. Then, take the feedback you receive and advocate for your team in whatever ways are necessary.

Give Appreciation Gifts

Giving out employee appreciation gifts, especially during the holidays, is a way to recognize each person and let them know they’re an important part of the team. It can also boost morale, encourage employee engagement, and reinforce a positive work culture. Overall, preventing employee burnout requires increasing job satisfaction and thoughtful gifts help with that.

Custom Gifts to Help With Burnout

Don’t simply order cheap company swag and hand it out to your employees. Instead, be thoughtful when choosing company gifts, and consider how to prevent employee burnout with the items you choose. Here are three ideas, and we have lots more in the Merchology catalog.

Custom Courant Natural MAG 2: Essentials

Reduce tech stress with this custom Courant Natural MAG 2: Essentials desktop charger. Not only is the shape attractive and interesting, but it can simultaneously charge an iPhone and AirPods with its magnetic snap-on design.

 

Embroidered  Port Authority Deep Smoke Plush Microfleece Shawl Collar Robe

The embroidered Port Authority Deep Smoke Plush Microfleece Shawl Collar Robe comes in gray, bright pink, and white, and it’s durable enough to be tossed in the washing machine. Plus, it’s so soft and comfortable that your employees will wear it all day long when they’re relaxing at home.

Lifelines Bath Diffuser Set - 2 Pack plus Essential Oil Blend

Show your employees that you want them to practice self-care at home with the Lifelines Bath Diffuser Set - 2 Pack plus Essential Oil Blend. The flameless candles and oil diffuser create a spa-like setting that’s ideal for deep breathing and meditation.

Contact Us

Are you interested in finding employee appreciation gifts that are perfect for your team and will prevent workplace stress? Get in touch with a Merchologist today! We’ll help you select the best gifts from our collection.