Burnout can be detrimental to your employees’ wellbeing and the overall productivity and performance of your team.

Despite the consequences associated with burnout, many workplaces do not have effective strategies in place to prevent it from occurring. The key for many employers is to keep employees engaged, satisfied and harmonious.

Here are three factors that can influence employee burnout:

Work/life balance

Expecting staff to be available at all hours of the day is unreasonable for most jobs. If staff are expected to check their emails after work hours or on weekends and paid leave, you may want to consider the type of culture you are instilling in your team. Furthermore, when staff work overtime and through their lunch break, there is limited time for relaxation which can impede creativity and problem solving. Overworking your staff can result in exhaustion and mental fatigue, both of which play a large role in burnout.

Compensation and rewards 

There is no sure-fire way to prevent burnout but paying your staff adequately can help reduce some of the stress associated with the role.

Competitive salaries and “work perks” can give staff motivation to continually strive for the best results. On top of a decent salary, rewarding great performance by providing bonuses, promotions and awards can help to ensure staff feel appreciated and recognised for their hard work.

Empowering staff 

Staff need to feel valued and responsible for their work. Give staff autonomy and ownership of their work by setting clear tasks, providing them with the right resources, and ultimately, avoiding micromanaging. It is also important to be supportive and realistic when staff members make a mistake. Trusting your staff to recover from a blunder gives them the confidence to overcome it with more ease.