Signs of Employee Burnout You Might Not Have Recognized

• Reading Time: 7 Minutes
• Published: May 17, 2021
• Last Updated: January 15, 2025

Employee burnout is a phenomenon that affects employees in all types of businesses. While there is already a lot going on in every employee’s mind, the recent global health crisis has made it worse. It can be hard to detect the early signs of employee burnout in a medium-sized or large company, which implies that the disorder can escalate to the extent that it is significantly impacting your overall organization’s productivity. Employee burnout can happen for many reasons, such as not receiving appreciation for their work, dissatisfaction with the payroll outsourcing services, unfair treatment at work, or experiencing deadline pressure.

Signs of Employee Burnout

Keep an eye out for these early employee burnout signs to protect them and keep your company operating smoothly.

• The feeling of exhaustion:

Employees who complain about being tired all of the time may be suffering from burnout. Workplace tension can make it difficult for workers to unwind at the end of the day or sleep well, resulting in a persistent state of exhaustion.

Various factors may cause exhaustion, and a disgruntled employee can not realize whether their fatigue is due to an underlying condition or employee burnout due to work. It all starts with physical symptoms such as eye bags under the eyes, fluctuation in weight, dull and gloomy faces with blank expressions, or changes in how they present themselves. You, as an employer, must identify the signs of exhaustion by constantly checking in with employees physically, if not mentally.

• Low Productivity Signs

You must have noticed that your employee sometimes misses deadlines or leaves work early without finishing his tasks for the day. Most employers think that it’s just a sign of laziness and that all they need is a little talking and scolding, but that is not always the case.

Most likely, these constant delays are a symptom of something more severe than laziness. Employee burnout and productivity are inversely proportional to each other. If a usually productive employee unexpectedly becomes unreliable, burnout may be why there is a drop in their productivity. This is termed “reduced professional efficacy” by the WHO. It conducted extensive research on the topic and reviewed that “reduced personal accomplishment or inefficacy, that is, a feeling of personal or professional inadequacy as well as reduced productivity and coping skills.”

You can tackle this situation by balancing the employee’s workload. Have a chat with them to see if there are any tasks they are unable to complete and how you can relieve any of the pressure. Keep in mind that your workers are people, and you can’t trust them to work hard under pressure without consequences. They will be motivated to give you the best results if you show them that you care and try to lighten their burden.

• Feeling irritated:

Tensions in the company can be the product of a personality conflict. However, if an employee is unexpectedly struggling to get along with everyone, it may indicate that they are under a great deal of stress. Irritability may also be caused by a person feeling inefficient, meaningless, or less productive than previously. Irritability or a proclivity to take offense is often accompanied by an inability to focus. Irritated employees not only make it unpleasant for their colleagues, but they also harm relationships with customers.

See if you can help overcome the root cause of the rage by taking action to improve employee burnout in addition to normal organizational disciplinary measures for employees who display extreme anger or even aggression against their colleagues.

• Increased cynicism

Negative attitudes toward one’s job, activities, or the business as a whole may be harmful to one’s workplace. Some people are pessimistic and will lament regardless of the circumstances. However, if a person on your team who is usually optimistic and motivating starts to whine and becomes more cynical, it may be burnout.

It’s perfectly natural to have a complaint now and then, and many people complain as a way to release their grievances. However, you can take it more seriously if you find this leads to a lack of confidence in coworkers or management.

If there is a high degree of cynicism in your company’s culture, productivity will suffer greatly. Furthermore, if your workers are dissatisfied with how they are handled, word of your company’s flaws will spread quickly.

Consistent practices to improve the employee’s well-being will aid in developing employee commitment and loyalty to the company. In some situations, altering an employee’s work routine to minimize burnout will help spark the individual’s passion for the job and end their cynical attitude.

• More absent leaves

According to Gallup findings, employees who consistently encounter job burnout are “63% more likely to take a sick day and 23% more likely to visit the emergency room.”

Workers who are on the brink of burnout often experience cognitive, emotional, or physical signs, which increases their chances of taking sick days and being absent more often. Some people may not even get out of their bed due to constant work stress overload, but some may be unmotivated by their jobs or having to deal with coworkers or bosses. These employees can cause more accidents or mistakes in their work due to their lack of motivation and attention. This is particularly concerning when they are working with heavy equipment, dealing with very fine details, or when the safety of others is at stake.

Developing an employee wellness program can be beneficial in a variety of ways. This may include expert seminars on how to handle stress and remain physically fit regularly. In the workplace, you could have more nutritious snacks and food options. You could establish a robust employee support program that provides workers with access to mental health counselors, recovery specialists, financial advisers, and other professionals to assist them with the stressful situations they may be facing.

Recognize These Signs Today

If you have witnessed any of these signs in your employees, make sure to keep an eye on them and take care of them. Employee burnout can have a significant effect on employee’s mental health and productivity. To prevent that from happening, observe the employees regularly. If you feel that any employee is underperforming or getting distracted from work often, having a one-on-one conversation with them and listening to their problems is essential. Ask them what’s causing their performance to fall. Do not make any decisions yourself. Doing this will create a healthy work environment for your employees and encourage them to perform at their best.

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