Is BURNOUT The Real Virus Impacting Tech?

October the 10th is World Mental Health Day. Many organisations will observe the occasion and encourage good mental health amongst their employees by educating and raising awareness.

Ironically, by delivering their message through workplace technology that has infiltrated our lives and been an underlying part of the work-related mental health problem for so long. 

The advancement in technology has provided the flexibility for employees to work from home. It's also provided agility and some stability for businesses to continue operating in this weird world we find ourselves in.

The capability to instantly reply to emails and messages and hold numerous video calls that immediately connect us with colleagues and clients gives the impression of efficiency. It may even appear to boost productivity.

Of course, employees feel pressure to perform and excel, this has always been the case. The tech sector also generates additional pressures for employees, such as hitting crucial and tight deadlines, meeting high expectations to execute and deliver projects and keeping up to date with advancements in new technology, to name but a few.

But this comes with a dark side. The ‘always-on’ mindset and culture. A misuse of what's perceived as the future of work, and with that the damage to our health and wellbeing.

That boost in productivity we see in the short-term can quickly lead to employee burnout.

The tech sector is no stranger to burnout, and many reports back this up. The British Interactive Media Association (BIMA) 2019 Tech Inclusion and Diversity Report highlights some significant health concerns:

• 66% of respondents reported feeling regularly stressed by their work, with 13% feeling constantly stressed. 
• More than 50% of respondents say they SOMETIMES or CONSTANTLY experience physical symptoms of stress, including headaches, sleeplessness, fatigue, panic attacks and stomach problems. 

AON’s Benefit and Trends Survey highlighted that in 2018, 78% of businesses in the tech sector reported an increase in employee stress and mental health-related illness.

It’s not just people that these statistics impact, the cost is huge and is still rising for organisations. The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy calculated that stress costs UK businesses at least ￡1000 per employee, per year in sick pay and associated costs. 

And in 2019, Asana reported that 81% of UK tech workers surveyed said they felt burned out at least once a month or more …. quite shocking really!

The tech sector looks like it has continued to grow during the recent pandemic, and this can be a double-edged sword for employees. Recently, tech recruiters, Harvey Nash conducted a survey that found 36% of tech professionals have seen their mental health deteriorate during the crisis.

So, what exactly is burnout and what can we do to prevent it?

Burnout is classed as a syndrome that results from workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. Not identified as a medical condition, the World Health Organisation suggests that the best way to address burnout,

"Is to focus on fixing the workplace rather than focusing on fixing the worker"

Other research supports this by suggesting that burnout is related to stressors within the environment rather than related to weakness on the part of susceptible individuals.  

You’d like to think you’d realise if you or an employee were in the throes or heading towards an episode of burnout, yet we often make excuses or put problems down to some other cause and ignore the warnings!

Here are five signs that you or an employee may be suffering from burnout:

1. You may feel exhausted, with no energy to do anything. You may also experience disturbed sleep, or lethargy and develop some cold or flu-like symptoms (not to be confused with COVID).
2. You may have trouble concentrating, and feel as if your mind is zoning out, going into a daze, like brain fog. You may notice reduced performance and productivity.
3. You may feel irritated and frustrated, and become self-critical. As well as detaching from the things you love.
4. Public places, such as restaurants and shops may begin to feel overwhelming – the lights are too bright and there is too much noise.
5. You may suffer from headaches, changes in eating habits, muscle tension, high blood pressure, aches and pains and skin complaints.

Not very nice for anyone to experience.

In the tech world, burnout is a difficult subject to address. It may require huge cultural shifts and take lots of time and effort, but we must start somewhere.

According to Psychologist Christine Maslach, there are 6 areas at work that when unbalanced can lead to burnout.

Perhaps we should start with these?

Workload 

Deadlines need to be realistic and consider your business resources (people) available to deliver projects on time. Constantly piling pressure on employees will lead to burnout and add more pressure on to other team members and so the cycle continues.

Something as simple as reminding employees that it’s ok for them to take time off work for holidays and for sickness can reduce pressure. In smaller teams, employees often feel the burden of passing work on to others in times of their absence. Increasing worry and stress levels.

If you’re seeing individuals continually working long after their core hours, check-in with them to see if they’re ok. This could be a sign they’re not coping with their current workload.

Lack of Reward

This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to spend money. Reward can be gained through purpose and giving back. Getting involved with educational programmes or charity work is a great way to increase job satisfaction for your employees.

If you want to add benefits on, make sure employees know what’s available and how to access them. You’d be surprised how many employees aren’t aware of some of the perks provided by their organisation!

Community

Does everyone feel part of the team and that they belong? Do you look out for each other and promote good health and wellbeing habits, starting with your own? Good physical and mental health results in increased employee engagement, productivity, and bottom-line profits. 

Be mindful. Learn to recognise the signs of stress and overwhelm. Don’t just keep chat about work, open communication channels so people feel comfortable not just asking for help but supporting others. This can really boost morale and bond your team together.

Perceived Lack of Control

Does everyone know exactly what is expected of them? What their role is and what responsibilities are involved? Have employees been provided with the appropriate level of training to carry out their job and are they supported by their line manager who has also had suitable training?

All these issues add to employees’ stress levels. Well trained and informed employees don’t need their hands held or to be micromanaged. Trust them and watch them shine.

Fairness

Are you a passion killer? How passionate are you about X? Do you ask this when you interview future employees? A big bugbear of mine, can we please stop asking people how passionate they are about their job?

The idea that if you don’t work 23 hours a day and drop work to spend time with your family, means you don’t care about or aren’t committed to your job, is just ridiculous! This mindset leads to employee burnout. Where does it even come from and how can we change it? Let’s be fair to employees. 

Remember to show your gratitude and appreciation. Saying thank you and giving credit where it’s due is one of the easiest ways to increase positivity and happiness amongst your teams. It’s a quick win and it’s free!

Values

You may want to take this time to review your current policies and procedures. Do they match your company values and the culture you are trying to create? If they don’t align with your employees or your employees don’t align with them, they won’t hang around for long.

Tech companies with the best record of ethnic and racial diversity (and overall good culture) earn more than the average company. In fact, 35% more according to the BIMA report mentioned earlier.

Introducing a workplace health and wellbeing programme can be the 1st step in highlighting current issues in your workplace and a way of identifying future risks too.

Taking action and showing employees that you genuinely care about them whilst involving them along the way, will not only boost your reputation and credibility as an employer but will attract people that want your company to succeed too. 

Give employees a sense of purpose, a feeling of belonging, a management style that permits autonomy

We've got enough to worry about when it comes to our health and wellbeing, let's not add work-related stress and burnout to the list. Create positive health and wellbeing in your workplace, even if you are all working from anywhere!

Just making small changes can reduce the risks and likeliness of burnout occurring in yourself and your employees. Then you can get back to doing what you’re good at…playing with computers all day, right?

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I hope you find this information useful?

I'm always happy to chat with business owners who think they may need help but don't know where to start or what to implement or want to improve on what they've already got.

You can schedule an informal call with me here and remember you can take your agency health and wellbeing questionnaire to see how your business is performing.

If you're interested in more blogs around workplace health and wellbeing then visit our website inhousehealth

Best Wishes, Emma x