Avoid burnout

BURNT-out employees make mistakes that can be expensive, so it makes financial sense for companies to put systems in place to prevent it.

Sibonile Dube, director of corporate affairs for Southern and Central Africa at consumer goods company Unilever, says burnout is not a single event, but the physical, emotional and psychological exhaustion employees experience due to working in a highly pressurised environment.

“Staff burnout is observed from the perspective of physical signs and behavioural indicators. It is an accumulation of activities and experiences that escalate over time. For this reason, it is vital for every employee, line manager and company to ensure . . . there are sustainable ways to maintain energy levels all year round to avoid burnout during the course of the year.” She has the following advice:

Pay attention to your health. Have an annual checkup so you can catch any issue early;

Make sure you get enough sleep, exercise regularly, eat well and stop unhealthy habits, such as smoking;

Be clear about what is required of you at work, and have regular conversations with your manager about this. “Employees must ensure they understand what is expected of them and that key performance indicators are formally documented and agreed,” she says; and

For companies, an effective wellness programme can help employees avoid burnout. Another boost a company can give “is the amount of support new mothers (and fathers) get . . . If not well managed, the transition to parenthood can lead to burnout as well as negatively impact career prospects for women,” says Dube. — Margaret Harris