According to the latest Gallup Report, South Africans are showing some of the alarming signs of burnout.  

It reports that 36% of the South African workforce experience excessive daily stress and more than 71% are either disengaged or actively disengaged at work. 

Prof Renata Schoeman, head of healthcare leadership at Stellenbosch Business School, says burnout is a workplace phenomenon that cannot be confused with the daily stressors of everyday personal life responsibilities. 

What is burnout? 

Burnout is a state of emotional, mental and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress. Studies have found that dedicated and committed people are particularly prone to it. 

The condition is classified as an occupational phenomenon by the World Health Organisation for its debilitating impact on productivity, bottom-line and the overall health of especially top achievers.  

A study found that up to two thirds have experienced burnout and that the majority says companies are not doing enough to prevent this condition. 

Burnout vs stress 

“Burnout is a persistent feeling of physical and emotional exhaustion that frequently comes with pessimism and disengagement from work.  

The culprits are usually an imbalance of resources and/or demands on what is expected, versus the availability of time, finances, training, support systems, mentorship and other resources needed to do the job,” Prof Schoeman explains. 

Another contributing factor is conflicting values – either a mismatch between your personal values and the organisational values, or the officially stated values of the organisation and the values in action. 

The business cost of burnout 

When left unmanaged, the monetary and non-monetary cost of burnout to the economy and business is unavoidably high. 

Health economists estimate that unaddressed mental health conditions cost the South African economy R161 billion per year due to lost days of work, presenteeism (being at work but unwell) and premature mortality. 

The direct cost of burnout is quantifiably impacting the organisation’s bottom line, through: 

• Increased absenteeism. 
• Reduced productivity. 
• Poor work performance and mistakes. 
• High employee turnover and the institutional loss of knowledge when employees leave. 
• Time and cost spent on training and upskilling new employees. 
• Negative impact on organisational culture. Once an organisation is known for its toxic work environment, it will be difficult to attract top talent. 

According to the Mental State of the World Report, South Africa, with a mental health quotient of 50, ranks 69th out of 71 countries and has the greatest percentage of distressed or struggling respondents at 35%.

The personal cost of burnout 

Prof Schoeman says the cost to employees is their overall health. She points out that burnout does not happen immediately and gradually builds up over time, with subtle signs and symptoms. 

Although not a condition that is medically diagnosed, if left untreated, burnout can lead to mental health conditions that require medical treatment.  

“This is not about simply taking a few weeks holiday or resting to overcome the constant state of depletion,” confirms Prof Schoeman. 

Burnout contributes to depression, anxiety and other stress-related disorders, impacting one’s quality of living, relationships and outlook on life. Physically, prolonged burnout can lead to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, gastrointestinal issues and weakened immune systems. 

Fatigue vs burnout 

Feeling tired is a natural state of wanting sleep or rest. Being tired doesn’t mean having burnout, although fatigue can be a symptom of burnout. Sometimes it is just being tired. 

Prof Schoeman warns, however, that it is not helpful to view burnout as something work has created. While organisations do have a responsibility to invest in preventing burnout and promoting mental wellness, viewing discomfort as purely “work has done this to me”, contributes to a lack of autonomy and passivity and generates a victim mentality. 

She advocates that the best defence for burnout is to limit the possibility from the start by practising selfcare every day. This includes getting enough sleep, exercising, eating healthily, participating in leisure and creative activities and spirituality. 

How can you manage your employee’s burnout? 

Organisations can employ the following strategies to prevent and address employee burnout by means of: 

• Recognise and reward performance: Although high performers expect to work hard, they do not thrive when taken for granted. Tangible rewards such as bonusses, promotions or additional vacation days and public recognition can also boost morale and motivation. 
• Distribute workload evenly: One of the reasons companies rely so much on their star performers is that they retain bad hires. Ensure that work is distributed fairly among team members and implement systems to monitor and manage the workload effectively. High performers are often held to higher standards than their peers, which can lead to feelings of unfair treatment and resentment. 
• Avoid imbalance in assignments: Managers often make decisions based on certain biases. Be clear about the reasoning why a particular person is being tasked, to avoid always overusing the top performer: 

•  Provide support and resources: Offer professional development opportunities to help high achievers manage their workload and stress. Ensure access to mental health resources and encourage their use. 
• Encourage work-life boundaries: An organisational culture of overwork and a belief that working long hours is a sign of dedication and commitment can lead to a cycle of overworking. Promote policies that support work-life balance and boundaries, such as flexible working hours and remote work options. Encourage employees to take breaks and use their annual leave. 
• Foster an open communication culture: Create an environment where employees feel comfortable discussing their workload and stress levels. Regular check-ins with high achievers, not only those who “struggle”, to help identify and address issues before they escalate. 
• Rotate assignments: Rotate high performers across different projects and roles to not only provide them with a new challenge and learning opportunities, but also to vary their workload. 
• Mentorship and coaching: Pair high performers with mentors or offer them coaching opportunities to develop strategies to manage their workload. 
• Personal development plans: Invest in high performers with personalised plans that can enrich their career goals and personal wellbeing. 
• Encourage delegation: When allowing high performers to delegate tasks, they will not only be able to manage their workload better, but they will also be able to upskill members of the team. 
• Implement wellness programmes: By activity prioritising mental and physical health, high performers will feel more comfortable in setting boundaries, taking breaks and caring for themselves long before burnout becomes an issue. 

Issue: What are the costs of burnout, and how to avoid it? 

Solution: Burnout is more than fatigue, with real, tangible costs to businesses. Use practical strategies to help prevent burnout, for the good of staff and the company.  

Prof Renata Schoeman, head of healthcare leadership at Stellenbosch Business School.

Full acknowledgement and thanks to https://renataschoeman.co.za/ for the information in this article.