The professional world has done a rapid U-turn when it comes to burnout. Just a couple decades ago, it was regarded as trivial, probably a sign of weakness – arguably nonexistent. As studies began showing the massive economic costs of employee burnout, burnout became accepted as a not only real but serious phenomenon. Very quickly, the thinking around burnout shifted in a huge way.
Today, burnout is seen as more of an institutional problem than an individual one – and is even recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a medical condition.
So what causes burnout in employees, and how do you prevent it? Let’s touch on what burnout is, some of the main factors that can lead to burned-out workers, and how to mitigate them.