Why employers need to be alert to burnout
By Tracey Ward, Head of Business Development and Marketing, Generali UK Employee Benefits following Fatigeu & Burnout Webinar presented by Vitality360
At a time when three quarters (75%) of HR leaders think the risk of employee burnout is increased potentially as a result of a new culture of “e-presenteeism” brought about by mass homeworking during the Covid-19 pandemic, Vanessa Latham, Partner at law firm BLM, says it would be wise for employers to be alert to the signs of burnout and take preventative, supportive - and ideally individually-tailored - action where required.
HRGrapevine recently reported on research findings commissioned by LinkedIn in partnership with the Mental Health Foundation, which found that three in five (58%) HR leaders think long-term homeworking may have unearthed a culture of ‘e-presenteeism’, whereby workers feel obliged to be online as much as possible, even outside of work hours, and when they are feeling unwell.
The survey as a whole, which also included employee respondents, showed that individuals are working an average of 28 hours a month more since being required to work from home due to lockdown. It should be noted that the survey was taken early on and at the height of the uncertainty due to Covid-19.
Burnout & case law
Burnout was added to the international classification of diseases last year by the World Health Organisation (WHO). It’s an occupational phenomenon, which results from workplace stress that hasn’t been managed effectively.
While Latham doesn’t expect the new classification of burnout to significantly change how employment law-related cases are decided, because it’s not classified as a medical condition as such, she says that claimants might argue that the signs of burnout were obvious to the employer. This, in turn, triggers an obligation on the employer to take steps to prevent injury occurring.
“That remains to be seen and as defendants we will argue that it [burnout per se] is not sufficient. In negligence claims, claimants are required to prove psychiatric illness – so proving burnout will not be sufficient for the claim to be successful.”
“However, it would be wise for employers to be alert to the issues associated with burnout and take supportive action if they see the signs.” ”
— Vanessa Latham, Partner at law frim BLM
Why here? Why now?
In a pre-Covid-19 world, the majority of us reported experiencing symptoms of fatigue and burnout at some point in our lives. It’s the persistence of these symptoms that determines their manageability.
Right now, in the middle of a pandemic when many more people are experiencing varying levels of stress, there’s an increased risk of persistent fatigue and burnout for everyone. The key is for individuals and employers to take preventative measures at an early stage.
Those most at risk fall into one of two camps. Firstly, those who develop Covid-19 may experience post-viral fatigue syndrome, if the experience of SARS survivors is anything to go by.
Research shows that 40% of those who survived SARS experienced chronic symptoms of fatigue, and 40% experienced psychiatric illness. There has been some research about what predicts chronic fatigue in people who have had other infections. This found that although most people do not develop chronic fatigue following an infection, it is more likely in those people who experience severe symptoms in the early stages of the illness. We do not yet know whether the same pattern will be seen in people who have Covid-19, says Emily Tims, Specialist Physiotherapist at Vitality360, one of Generali UK’s early intervention specialists (speaking as part of a recent webinar hosted in partnership with Generali UK).
“ A stressful period can trigger burnout or other conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome. Those more at risk include people with school-age children; anyone living with - or apart from - a vulnerable person; those with a close friend or family member admitted to hospital; anyone living on their own; anyone with significant financial concerns.”
— Emily Tims, Specialist Clinician Vitality360
What should individuals watch out for?
According to Vitality360, employees should be alerted to the warning signs, which include:
Persistent pain
Increased use of pain relief
‘Full bucket’ metaphor
Gut issues
Sleep problems
Shame, guilt, secrecy & denial
Feeling tired and wired
Endless ‘to-doing’
Desire to ‘stop the planet, I want to get off’
What should employers watch out for?
A Gallup report from 2018 found that employees with enough time to do their work and who felt supported by their line managers were 70% less likely to suffer high burnout. It found the following main causes of burnout:
Unreasonable time pressure
Lack of communication & support from managers
Lack of role clarity
Unmanageable workload
Unfair treatment at work
How do individuals prevent burnout & fatigue?
We all have three emotional regulation systems: threat; drive; and soothing, says Tims. “Although we need them all, we also need to be able to recognise when we’re spending too long in one of them. With burnout, we get stuck in either the threat or drive system.”
The following are required to help activate the soothing system:
Ensure good sleep habits: have a wind-down routine before bed; dark room; no evening caffeine, alcohol or exercise; minimise technology in the evening; minimise naps and lie-ins.
Balance rest and activity: identify your triggers, such as pushing ahead with work when you might be too tired, and set yourself ground rules; implement new routines that include effective rest, such as a 5-minute break every hour; ensure time for something completely different to work – anything from meditation and relaxation to listening to music or going for a walk.
Include physical activity: boosts mood; improves sleep, concentration, wellbeing, immune system, disease risk. Make a plan to ensure it’s easy to fit into life and keep it consistent. UK physical activity guidelines were updated by the Department of Health and Social Care last year and as well as the usual 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity exercise, there’s now more emphasis on strength training as part of the weekly routine, along with breaking up periods of inactivity.
How do employers prevent burnout & fatigue?
Employers have statutory obligations under the Health & Safety at Work Act (1974) – a duty of care for employee wellbeing, including mental health. This involves: minimising risk such as workload, role and expectations; identifying issues by monitoring absenteeism and presenteeism, also using the HSE risk assessment tool and management standards indicator tool.
Where areas of risk are identified, preventative strategies can be put in place by embedding a culture of wellbeing. This should include a focus on the following:
Achievable workload/targets.
Managing performance and ensuring a culture of disclosure so any problems are identified and adjustments can be made
Managers leading by example – right now, this could include not muting the children while they are on video calls and making it clear when they are and are not available
Managers given appropriate support and training
Encourage employees to take breaks away from the desk
Factor in physical activity – such as lunchtime walks
Encourage employees to switch off outside of work – make it clear to people when they are and are not expected to reply to emails
Implement flexible working
Notes
The poll, commissioned by LinkedIn in partnership with The Mental Health Foundation, was carried out in late April and included 2,000 UK adult workers working from home due to Coronavirus, plus HR respondents (number not specified). The findings, which focused on changes in mental health since lockdown began on 23rd March, were first published on 5th May and a full report is anticipated during Mental Health Awareness Week. In the meantime, here’s the official blog: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/challenges-home-working-why-we-must-protect-mental-chris-o-sullivan/?published=t
This article was written following a recent webinar on fatigue and burnout hosted by Generali UK in partnership with their wellbeing partner Vitality360, a team of multidisciplinary professionals specialising in rehabilitation for people with persistent physical symptoms, such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. To watch a recording of the webinar, go here.