Burnout is generally thought of as something that happens when your hard work and long hours finally catch up with you. It's basically the tired, defeated feeling you get when your life is all work and no play. But, new research found that this is just one type of burnout employees experience.
The signs of burnout include exhaustion, low levels of productivity and all-around irritability. A study published in the journal PLOS ONE suggests that there are at least three types of burnout.
The first is "Frenetic." This is the type of burnout we all know about, the one in which workers just have too much on their plates and start complaining about their workload. The second type of burnout is "Under-Challenged." This is what happens when employees are satisfied with the work they are doing, and ultimately begin avoiding their work because it is so unrewarding. Lastly, there's the "Worn-Out" burnout, which is when employees are unable to deal with day-to-day stresses and begin to neglect their work as a result.
The study, which involved 429 employees of an academic institution, found that 21% were worn out, 15% experienced frenetic burnout and 9% experienced under-challenged burnout.
All this means is that being overworked isn't the only reason why employees might be facing burnout. Make sure employees are being challenged and are experiencing job satisfaction. Furthermore, leaders should keep an eye on employees to ensure they aren't buckling under pressure. Create an open and motivating office culture in which workers are both challenged and encouraged to to have a work-life balance.
