What Lies Within. Avoiding a Growing Culture of Corporate Burnout.

Here are the facts that many companies and executive teams choose to ignore or don’t fully understand about the current state of business:

1. There is a corporate burnout crisis in American companies that is diminishing the value of the company’s most important asset; their human capital.  High levels of work place stress cost U.S. companies up to $550 billion a year.
   
   
2. More important than corporate vision is the culture in your workplace. Employers place high value on the vision of the company, without taking into account how the team will make this vision a reality.  How can you achieve the vision and mission, create innovative products and services, increase growth and profitability with a burned-out workforce that is struggling just to keep pace?

 

1. Nothing kills innovation and growth faster than a disengaged, unhappy and stressed out workforce. Workers who feel undervalued, ignored and unappreciated routinely underperform, use more sick days and work in a silo of inefficiency, all leading to a toxic environment that breeds more of the same. 

A Gallup study performed in June of 2018 found 23 percent of the employees sampled felt burned out at work very often or always, while an additional 44 percent reported feeling burned out sometimes. 

What’s the cost?
Job burnout accounts for an estimated $125 billion to $190 billion in health-care spending each year and has contributed to the development of type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, gastrointestinal issues, high cholesterol and even death for those under the
​age of 45.
 
Companies are facing an employee burnout crisis and there is a high cost to pay in absenteeism and turnover. Some of the causes that are impacting about two-thirds of the workforce include; feelings of unfair treatment at work, unreasonable deadlines, unmanageable workload, lack of support from managers (who are also suffering burnout) and the added stress from having to be accessible almost 24/7 with expectations to respond to emails and texts during off hours. 

What steps can we take to fix this crisis?
When it comes to building a climate of well-being, employers need to look beyond just physical health to help employees feel recognized, valued and involved and create opportunities for growth and development, according to David W. Ballard, PsyD, MBA, director of APA’s Center for Organizational Excellence. 
 
Despite the rise in corporate wellness programs, many employers are falling short in their efforts. Often times these wellness initiatives are an “add-on” to someone’s already overburdened work duties and not being executed consistently with solid workplace wellness programs. 

The Solution?
The best strategies for sustainable, long-term benefits to combat high stress and burnout are holistic approaches developed and executed by a wellness professional. I’m not talking about another employee wellness program with blood pressure screenings, BMI testing and tracking, flu clinics, diet challenges and adding a new fitness class to the lineup that will be under-utilized by most employees. While those can serve a purpose as part of the equation, there is a bigger piece missing from many corporate wellness programs. Taking a more holistic approach that bridges the gap between mind and body allows employees and executives to find the connection between true wellness and engagement. Workshops on meditation, mindfulness, self-care and stress management will teach resilience, patience and emotional regulation, concentration, empathy, better communication and team-building skills, and the willingness and creativity to be a thought leader sharing new ideas and solutions. This all leads to a workforce that is healthier, less overwhelmed, more engaged, innovative and productive. 

It’s imperative that the top leadership supports a culture of wellness in the workplace in order for change to occur. Nearly three-fourths (73 percent) of employees with senior managers who show support through involvement and commitment to well-being initiatives, said their organization helps employees develop a healthy lifestyle, compared with just 11 percent who work in an organization without that leadership support, according to APA's 2016 Work and Well-Being Survey.

Where to begin?
The embrace of an employee wellness program addressing the whole person, mind and body, is a significant paradigm shift in the business world, one that is growing stronger with more evolved leaders and companies bringing a spirit of innovation to their workforce. Giving the same energy and care to employees as they do to their core products and services will lead to a flourishing and thriving company that is profitable and able to keep and recruit top talent. Hiring a professional wellness and transformational coach to build a solid program of workshops and classes centered around the mind and the body will support and empower the leaders and employees to fulfill their highest business, personal and social potential through mindset and behavior change as part of the company’s culture and growth. 

The bottom line:
Burnout interferes with everyone’s ability to perform well; it increases rigid thinking, and decreases the ability to think accurately, flexibly, with innovation and creatively. Is it time you took a look at your company’s culture and rethink your corporate wellness goals? 

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