Burning Out On The Job

Do you hate going to work every day? Is work a grind?

Do you feel like you are working for an organization that doesn't care for you? Do you feel they are piling on the work with no regard for your well-being? Do you feel powerless to change the work environment and afraid to speak out? There is a word for what you are going through - burnout.

Burnout on the job. In this era of downsizing and layoffs, many organizations are trying to make do with slimmer budgets and fewer people. The number crunchers are in control. Organizational loyalty to employees is becoming outdated.

The workload on the remaining workers increases, often with no increase in pay. They become physically and emotionally exhausted from trying to do too much. If they do get overtime pay for the extra work, they get used to having it and are stuck with a longer workday.

By going the extra mile, workers feel they will be loved, appreciated and rewarded. Wrong! They are sorely disillusioned. They are learning the hard way that business is about the bottom line and that they and their fellow workers are potentially expendable.

Employee reactions. Employees feel picked on, devalued, trapped, discounted, and less confident. There is no way to discharge aggression on the job. The work overload eliminates any natural downtime that used to occur during the workday. There is precious little downtime.

High achievers, perfectionists, those who have to do everything themselves, loners and those who don't express themselves easily are prone to burnout. Besides physical symptoms, a burned out employee often feels cynical, irritable, mistrustful of others, depressed and anxious. An employee's sour and depressed attitude spills over onto co-workers and supervisors.

They take their stress home. Their spouse suffers indirectly from burnout. At home, they have trouble sleeping and concentrating. They are terse and more irritable. Some self-soothe with drugs or alcohol.

What employers can do. Take care of the workers and they will take care of the organization. Keep the "heart" in the organization despite the aggressive business climate and bottom line considerations. Use people to the best of their abilities and show appreciation for their efforts. Giving extra rewards and recognition for heavy demands will go a long way to soften the impact of heavy workloads.

Acknowledging feelings and emotional pain is an important first step in dealing with burnout. Supervisors need to have an open door policy and really "hear" the feelings of the people working for them. People need a "safe" place to go with their pain and hurt. There should be no retribution for honest and frank discussions.

Often supervisors need additional training and mentoring to deal with the stress problems of their employees.

How they approach workers with problems, criticisms or additional demands makes a big difference. Bad policies shouldn't be defended and efforts need to be made to change them. Even if nothing can be done immediately, just the act of listening and caring is helpful.

Stress on the job needs to be addressed on a routine basis. Critical incident debriefing helps allay anxieties and put problems in perspective. People need to talk about the hard things that happen.

If the supervisor is part of the problem, then a neutral mediator should be present and take notes on the discussion. Other options could include lateral transfers or referral to the Employee Assistance Program.

What employees can do. If possible, put something in your schedule that is outside of direct service that would provide a change of pace and a learning experience. Take advantage of training that might be outside your direct responsibilities.

Schedule personal time during the workday to unwind. Set priorities and organize your work better so you can manage the stress better. Take some kind of action to manage the new demands.

Talking with co-workers may or may not be helpful. Gripe sessions may reinforce feelings of anger, frustration and helplessness. Employees can get themselves into trouble by complaining a lot.

Coping after hours. Outside the workplace, employees can use some of these coping techniques for offsetting work related stress:

• Give yourself permission to take care of yourself. Exercise on a daily basis. Watch your diet.
• Cultivate a sense of identity and life apart from the workplace. Volunteer in the community.
• Use leisure time well. Take short vacations.
• Rekindle personal relationships.
• Talk out and acknowledge your feelings with a confidant. Join a support group or seek out formal psychotherapy.