For many people, work is an important part of life. It's where they spend most of their time and often where they make friends. If an employee isn't doing as well as usual, has feelings of guilt or is fearful about anything, these are risk factors for mental health. mental health that can be present in Burnout Syndrome, also known as Professional Burnout Syndrome. According to the WHO - World Health Organization, the study Perceptions of the Impact of Covid-19, developed by Ipsos in March 2021, analyzed that Brazil appears as the country with the most anxiety in the world, with 18.6 million anxious people, which means 9.3% of the population. After the outbreak and during the pandemic, there was an exponential increase in the number of cases of burnout.
As of January 1, 2022, the WHO officially recognized burnout as an occupational disease in the new International Classification of Diseases - ICD 11. Professional burnout is not related to a personal event, it is a psychological disorder caused by extreme tiredness caused by the state of emotional tension and stress brought on by stressful working conditions and which affects the person in various sectors of their professional and personal life. Certain factors that damage mental health can be found in working conditions, for example an employee may have the skills to complete tasks, but may have few resources to do what is necessary and/or poor communication practices, extensive routines beyond working hours and a lack of connection with colleagues and leaders worsen during the pandemic.
What is burnout?
It is a psychological process and occurs due to prolonged stress or excessive working hours. The main signs of burnout include a feeling of emptiness, frustration and exhaustion. Some of the other symptoms of burnout can include:
- Irritation;
- Lack of empathy;
- Anxiety;
- Depression;
The reasons for burnout can mainly be pressure at work, especially when professionals have unachievable targets and a lack of management support. The psychological impact is enormous and also hinders relationships between staff and leadership, which can lead to a lack of job satisfaction. Based on an organizational culture that prioritizes well-being, productivity and better performance, the strategy of employee experience strategy analyzes a set of perceptions ranging from the employee's feelings and experiences with the company, as well as presenting a holistic view of the professional's behavior.
It is possible to reduce burnout with a few changes, such as implementing a process of performance evaluationand giving employees more autonomy, as well as increasing their involvement by giving them more feedback on their activities.
Employee mental health
A toxic work environment can aggravate pre-existing conditions or worsen their effects. These mental health consequences can cost companies in terms of reduced productivity and increased turnover. With the new work formats, the first warning signs can be seen in employees who are too distracted, tired, avoiding colleagues, procrastinating more or even taking on more work than they can manage. Other items that can also be related to burnout are tasks that are unsuitable for the professional's skills, a high workload and a lack of support from leadership.
Awareness of mental health is increasing, especially with the new classification by the WHO, but it is still possible to see professionals in companies who face discrimination and may struggle to get the help they need. When the company creates workplace cultures where people can be themselves, it's easier for people to talk about mental health problems without fear and to seek help when they need it.
It is essential that the corporate environment becomes a place where professionals feel safe to be themselves. A healthy workplace can be described as one in which workers and managers actively contribute to the working environment, promoting and protecting the health, safety and well-being of all employees. Some processes, such as the inclusion of competency-based performance evaluationIt is also important to optimize repetitive routines, provide more training and coaching to improve skills and competencies, as well as moments of respite between activities.
The role of the company in the mental health of professionals
Previously, the employer could claim a number of other factors, such as the professional's predisposition to depression or the fact that he or she is a high achiever. According to ICD-11, the company now needs to prove that the worker's diagnosis is wrong and that it isn't burnout. So before it gets to procedural levels, it's important that the company invests more in supporting mental health, improving working conditions, in particular with flexible working hours, supporting and developing a culture of mental health awareness among employees, making information, tools and support accessible when needed.
It is essential that HR promotes effective management to ensure that all professionals have a regular conversation about their health and well-being with their manager, supervisor or leader. Leaders should also treat mental health as an organizational priority, being allies with the HR team and sharing their perceptions in the event of changes in direct reports. Sometimes, a subtle (or more obvious) drop in a professional's performance can be a sign that a team member may be experiencing problems. Unacceptable behavior and poor performance should be addressed, but be aware that fear can prevent a person from disclosing a mental health problem.
Performance appraisals can be very challenging for people who have experienced mental health problems. That's why it's necessary to use performance evaluation methodologies, involve employees in decision-making, conveying a sense of control and participation, as well as organizational practices that support a healthy work-life balance.
