3 Warning Signs Your Employees Are Burning Out

Today’s stress-driven lifestyle may spell out “success” to many, but it’s doing a lot of harm.

Employees everywhere are on the brink of burnout, and it’s damaging to their health and your business. Stressed out employees cost organizations $300 billion annually and drive 46 percent higher healthcare costs. What’s more, 64 percent of employees with high stress levels say they feel extremely fatigued and out of control, and it’s costing 35 percent of people at least an hour of productivity each day.

Without overhauling society, what can you do? The key is to recognize the telltale symptoms of burnout before it’s too late. But that’s often easier said than done, especially because on-going, low-grade stress can feel exhilarating (similar to working against a deadline), it is common for even employees to miss the signals.

Here are three warning signs to watch for:

1.      A slump in productivity or quality.

When top-notch employees start becoming unreliable, something’s up. Keep your eyes peeled for someone who’s regularly missing deadlines, racking up frequent complaints from patients, or whose performance has declined over the past couple of months.

2.      A detached, disengaged employee.

Notice an A-plus employee suddenly seems to disconnect or lose their spark? Intervene ASAP. These feelings could manifest in the form of poor communication with co-workers, an overall lack of enthusiasm, or an unwillingness to collaborate with the group.

3.      An unusually pessimistic person.

If a former department cheerleader’s attitude suddenly becomes negative, it is reason enough to raise the alarm. Be on the lookout for on-going negativity, endless complaints, and a previously high-performer who you can no longer encourage.

Now that you know burnout looks like early on, make it your goal to help employees stop the stress from progressing further.

Create a culture that discourages employees from burning the candle at both ends, and help managers and supervisors form caring team environments. When employees know they’re supported, they’ll feel more comfortable speaking up when they feel like they’re starting to fizzle.

Offering tools and resources that support all areas of well-being is just as critical as company culture. Programs like these communicate you care, while helping your people manage everything they’ve got going on and protecting your workforce against the damaging effects of burnout.

If this article was helpful, you may also want to read about the 7 signs your employee is about to quit: http://bit.ly/1MN7nWL

For more information on this and other topics related to HR, HIPAA, OSHA, and Medicare, please emailsupport@hcsiinc.com or visit our website at http://www.hcsiinc.com

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