Burnout as a Disability: HR’s Role in Bridging Recovery and Reintegration
Read Time: 5 Minutes
I remember when I fell into my phase of severe burnout, it was a full-blown existential crisis.?
I was alone.
My friends and family didn’t know how to support me and likely thought I went off my rocker.
I felt like I hit rock bottom even when I was “successful” by most traditional merits at 27:
I was “stable”.
I was also depressed.??I was emotionally exhausted.
I was cynical and resentful. I was lost and unfulfilled.
I was angry and frustrated.
Honestly, had I seen a doctor, they would have probably diagnosed me with “entitlement”.
(I did see a team of doctors by the way, they just prescribed me a cream and an injection for the eyebrow I nervously picked away)
A lot has changed over the many years and while burnout isn’t a medical condition, there are some clear indicators that can put burnout into the category of disability that we can be aware of.
Psychological Safety and Injury
When it comes to the workplace, we’re pretty familiar with physical health and safety - fire extinguishers, defibrillators, first aid, protection gear, stable work environments and preventing acts of physical violence.
There is also psychological safety; creating a space that allows us to express thoughts, ideas, concerns, and make mistakes without humiliation or negative consequences to our self image, status and career.
Can we get emotionally drained and injured??
Absolutely, and burnout is an example of one.
From a workplace perspective, work overload, lack of autonomy, unclear expectations, lack of fairness, and misaligned values all contribute to chronic stress we feel at work that lead to burnout.
While “burnout” can’t exactly be classified as a disability, many of its presenting diagnosable symptoms can be, including:?
They fall into a legal framework which will require that inclusive policies, communications, education and accommodations are in place if it happens.?
Recognizing burnout as a temporary disability or injury means we need a consistent and clear process to prevent discrimination and unfair treatment, which puts us in a unique category for a Leave of Absence.
In other words, it means we don’t recommend a vacation, using your EAP for some therapy, Yoga classes or self-care as they typically put the problem onto the employee.?
These recommendations commonly fall within prevention and workplace wellness.
A proper workplace protocol will help set your employees up for success for recovery, which can include temporary work re-distribution, temporary hires, redirecting email and communications, and payroll modifications.
The next problem to solve is an effective recovery program.
Burnout Recovery and Secondary Gain
Recovery times vary for each individual person and not all recovery programs are designed equally or the same.
Whether working with a medical professional, therapist, or coach, addressing the root cause of burnout for an individual requires interventions that address compulsive thoughts and behaviors, processing suppressed emotions, triggers, trauma and inner conflicts in the nervous system.
It’s getting back to baseline so we’re not stuck in survival mode or a state of constant “hyper vigilance”. That’s why it’s rarely stress that’s the issue, it’s the mechanisms that turn stress into a chronic condition.?
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When a program doesn’t address the root causes and introduces coping strategies or numbing effects, many employees may opt to not want to return to work, or return to work disengaged and at a lower capacity.??
If we consider this as a disability, employees are being paid to try to feel mentally and emotionally safe and regulated in a non-work environment, knowing that work is the environment that makes them feel unsafe.
Especially for those who work solely for a paycheck, when these disability paychecks come in, even if it’s a fraction of a full salary, it’s sometimes worth not stressing and returning to work.??
They will sabotage their own recovery.?
This is called secondary gain.
A good recovery program will help to address this issue and can engage the workplace for check-ins while being mindful for personal space and privacy.
Reintegration Back into the Workplace
Working with a recovery coach, they can help employees return to work and establish healthy boundaries.?
Their recovery should include skill development for effective state management, values alignment and boundary setting that will allow them to re-navigate their workloads effectively and identify unhealthy behaviors.
Employers and managers can also proactively prepare a re-onboarding plan and have candid conversations around specific areas of their role and even management and cultural blind spots to improve the work experience as a whole.??
Working with a recovery coach helps to provide professional insights around unhealthy and unsustainable management behaviors.?
Typical conversations include: hours of availability, pressure and demands, and team dynamics.
Re-integration will require adequate time to be updated on project statuses, new priorities, new procedures and processes, leadership changes, culture shifts and team dynamics since the leave of absence.
With any leave of absences, it requires patience, empathy and understanding with clear communication, coaching and feedback.?
If there’s anything I’ve learned with a good recovery program and our burnout retreats, it’s the level of post traumatic growth and transformation that comes from effective recovery.
It opens a new level of clarity and deep motivation to springboard forward with our careers and life.
Until next time,
Duncan So
#keepthepassionalive
Join our #WellbeingWednesday Community Support session. Check out all our events on our Linkedin LIVE events calendar: www.burnoutrecoveryaccelerator.com/events
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1.? Get Burnout Relief.? If you’re approaching that point of no return and the momentum of chronic stress is hindering your recovery, start here.? You’ll quickly re-regulate and personalize your recovery with an action plan that optimally fits your circumstances.
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3. Burnout Retreats. Make burnout recovery an awakening and life-transforming experience with our proven rapid interventions and burnout experts, surrounded in a tropical paradise with locations in Mexico. ???