WORKPLACE WELLNESS

BURNOUT HAS BECOME AN OCCUPATIONAL PHENOMENON. SO WHAT IS IT AND WHAT STEPS CAN YOU TAKE TO REDUCE YOUR RISK?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently redefined burnout as being directly linked to workplace stress. According to WHO, “Burnout is a syndrome conceptualised as resulting from chronic workplace stress. It is characterised by three dimensions: feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and reduced professional efficacy.”

TOO MUCH WORK, NOT ENOUGH ANYTHING ELSE

Bronwyn Sowden, director of human resources at Viacom ANZ, manages staff across brands including Nickelodeon and MTV. Her company recently did an in-house survey that reported the following: 53 per cent of staff recorded being ‘highly stressed’ at work, 94 per cent of staff recorded a feeling of burnout/ exhaustion and 84 per cent of staff recorded having low self-esteem.

What’s interesting is that the study also showed 66 per cent of staff at Viacom were getting less than the recommended amount of daily exercise and 87 per cent of staff spent the majority of the day sitting down.

Viacom’s answer was to offer regular F45 classes, a stretch station, discounts on Class Pass and a social walking group during the month of October. These kinds of incentives not only motivate staff to get moving but they send a clear message that your wellbeing is valued.

Some of us find or make time to go to pre-work classes or get out for a lunchtime run but many of us are restricted in the hours we have available due to school drop-off and pick-up, long hours commuting or feeling exhausted to the point where adding anything can feel too much.

Ash-lea Gazzola, HR manager at The Atticism, is adamant that workplace wellness must not be overlooked. The Atticism uphold a commitment to health and wellness for all employees (including contractors) and owner Renae Smith created the 20-hour work week for senior staff many years ago. Gazzola says whether or not a company takes their employees’ mental health seriously comes down to the company goals. “Are the owners looking to create a business or make money?” And what can you do if your company falls into the latter category?

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Let’s be honest, we don’t need a World Health anything to tell us we’re burnt out,

so you’ll be pleased to know the Global Wellness Institute recently declared ‘workplace wellness’ is one of the three core areas of wellness that will receive the most attention (read: funding) in the coming years. That can only mean good news for employees because one thing that shows up time and again is the unspoken expectation to work long hours, to be available on email after 6pm and not take a lunch break.

If that’s your experience, it’s time to change the culture by changing your ways. Taking a lunch break is something you can do today. You might feel it will impact the limited time you have to do your job, but a 15-minute walk provides fresh air, exercise and ‘me time’ – three things that are renowned for creating a sense of wellbeing. Getting involved on a company level will have an even wider impact.

WELLNESS IN THE WORKPLACE

Bronwen Sciortino runs wellness programs for companies and says, “It’s really important that organisations engage their workforce to establish wellbeing programs and ensure they are regarded as useful.” As she notes, times have changed and the line between work and home life have become blurred. As the Viacom numbers show, we’ve ‘normalised’ burnout, because if your hand hurt 94 per cent of the time you’d probably seek help or take some action to change it.

Taking a walk at lunchtime might sound too simple and it’s certainly not the ultimate cure for workplace fatigue. With global institutes like the World Health Organisation naming burnout as a common workplace burden, it makes sense for each of us to take matters into our own hands and involve the powers that be. •