Burned out employees? Tips for motivating employees at the end of the year

The past few years have led to increased levels of professional fatigue – for all of us – so it makes sense that more employees are prone to suffering end-of-year burnout.

And managers aren’t immune either, so if you’re desperate for a break and crawling to the Christmas break, you can appreciate how your staff members are probably feeling!

But it’s up to you as their leader to motivate them to the finish line – and identify if they’re burned out and need additional support. Here’s how.

Realise that burnout is a thing

Employee burnout is what the Mayo Clinic calls ‘an occupational phenomenon’ – and if you have a burned out staff member, they probably feel physical or emotional exhaustion.

Burnout is found across the spectrum but most research is on professional burnout – specifically, ‘people who help people’, like teachers and nurses, say Emily and Amelia Nagoshi, authors of Burnout: The Secret to Solving the Stress Cycle.

Learn to spot burnout in your team

When it comes to end-of-year burnout, experts say there are a number of signs to look for. You might notice that your employee:

• Has a reduced efficiency and energy when at work
• Has a low level of motivation in general
• Is making mistakes more often
• Seems tired or frustrated with work
• Is increasingly suspicious at work
• Suffers headaches, aches and pains
• Has become sarcastic and negative
• Is working more but accomplishing less.

This can be a serious problem that doesn’t just affect your employee’s performance and wellbeing, but can ricochet into the team and entire company.

And you’ll want to ignore it at your peril: research shows that workplace burnout can affect productivity, lead to absenteeism in your team – and even impact your staff retention. (And research shows that January is a big month for fresh job listings, so you don’t want to give your employees any ideas, right?)

Facing end-of-year burnout

Deadlines, work pressure, the need to complete projects before breaking for Christmas – all of these things can heighten the risk for end-of-year burnout.

Our tips on looking after your employees this time of year:

1. Make sure they take proper breaks and lunch breaks
2. See if there’s a way to better manage work tasks / deliverables
3. Encourage employees to pace themselves and prioritise self-care
4. Model healthy work-life balance by leaving work at a reasonable time and encourage your employees to do the same
5. Offer support, extra resources and time off if they need it.

It’s also a good time to encourage your staff with fun team activities that help take the pressure off. You’ll also want to celebrate and reward their achievements from the past year and give recognition where it’s due.

Plus, reviewing challenges you’ve faced and creating goals and intentions for the coming year can help staff feel energised about what’s to come (rather than miserable and thinking about applying for a new job!)

What else can you do to prevent employee burnout?

Post-pandemic, we know that building healthy workplaces that focus on work-life balance and employee wellbeing is critical.

This includes looking at your workplace culture overall – are employees trapped in an always-on, 24/7 situation? Do you cut costs and overload your staff with a job spec that should be done by two people? Your bottom line may look good, but it won’t mean a thing if your staff start suffering burnout.

You could also look at creating resources that support your staff, giving them access to career coaches, counsellors and wellbeing programs to help them deal with workplace stress and ensure they don’t get to a place where the pressure feels insurmountable.

Find out more about how to keep your employees happy at work by downloading our 2022 Frontline Feel Good Index Report