Battling Burnout Blues August 13, 2008 Incentives can help prevent hardworking employees from stressing out
By Jeanie Casison
When a Careerbuilder.com survey shows that 78 percent of workers are burned out, it may be time for an intervention on the part of employers everywhere. The need for better stress management becomes even more essential with the eroding economy leaving many Americans feeling they have to scramble to maintain their quality of life.
Soaring stress levels can be blamed on downsizing and more responsibility on the job. According to the Careerbuilder.com survey of more than 7,600 workers nationwide, 46 percent say that their workload has increased over the last six months and 45 percent describe their workload as heavy or too heavy. Additionally, close to a quarter (23 percent) of respondents report dissatisfaction with their current work/life balance.
"There are less people taxed with doing more work, and that translates to an increase in stress levels. These are symptoms of businesses operating on leaner budgets," says Jennifer Grasz, a spokesperson for Chicago-based Careerbuilder.com. "But there are different ways to make stressful situations more manageable. Many employers are implementing work/life programs and offering greater flexibility. So you do see businesses acknowledging burnout, and workers voicing a need to better manage their professional and personal commitments."
Among the programs that are being offered by companies to help address worker woe are alternative schedules (72 percent), compressed work weeks (24 percent), telecommuting (15 percent), summer hours (14 percent) and job sharing (6 percent).
Employee incentives can also offer some form of relief. "Travel has been proven over the years as a real good motivator. With everything going on in the world, especially in the United States with our economy, everyone is even more stressed out," says Rich Wise of Wise Incentives in San Diego. "It is more challenging to do business now, and noticeably everyone is affected. So that is why incentive programs are even more important in today's economic climate."
Downtimes are not discouraging one of Rich's clients from seeking rest and relaxation. "I'm putting together a program for a mortgage company. Despite mortgage companies having a really stressful year, my client decided that we are going to work together and go ahead with their annual incentive program," he says. "You really need incentives to motivate people to reach goals at a time when they might find it hard to reach. It's good for morale and camaraderie. First, employees are working towards a goal, and if they reach it they get to go and play. Second, they get to forget about work for a few days."
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