Workplace burnout has taken on increased importance as the stresses of living and working through a global pandemic have pushed many people to and beyond their breaking points.

Wellbeats has published a new industry report on employee burnout, highlighting current statistics on employee burnout and outlining ways employers can support their employees in their individual wellbeing journeys.

As a leading virtual wellness benefit provider, Wellbeats works closely with employers to support and improve all aspects of employee health and wellbeing. These relationships have helped us identify several burnout strategies, which we’ve included in a comprehensive industry report titled, “Get Personal: An Employer’s Guide to Ending Burnout.”

Key Insights on How to Combat Employee Burnout

LifeSpeak’s 2021 Employer Mental Health Report Card found that workers give their companies a failing grade—an “F”—when it comes to workplace mental health and wellbeing support. Just as concerning, employers only graded themselves a “C” average for the mental health support they offer to their workforce.

Employers and employees agree that supporting mental health and combating burnout are top priorities, but there is a disconnect between how well employers feel they support workplace mental health and how their employees perceive that support.

To address burnout in the workplace, employers must first acknowledge and understand the issue. Employers can start by learning what burnout looks like in their employee population.

Characteristics or behaviors to watch for include the following:

• Expressing low energy or exhaustion
• Demonstrating detachment from or negative feelings toward their job
• Cutting short or canceling meetings to free up work time
• Taking shortcuts on processes or quality to complete activities faster
• Making more mistakes in work or otherwise demonstrating a decline in quality of work
• Missing deadlines

Whether your organization chooses to take a macro-level or micro-level approach to burnout, it’s essential to create a program that is affordable, accessible, approachable, and personalized.

Variety is essential because everyone battles stress in different ways. Some might love a mindfulness break or a yoga class to settle their mind while others prefer to sweat out the stress with a high-intensity workout or other activity to relax and unwind. By offering options that appeal to employees of all ages, interests, and ability levels, you can increase the likelihood that your entire workforce—and their dependents—will stay engaged over time.

The Bottom Line

Employees are looking for support, and in many cases, they are not finding it.

Burnout is a complex issue, and the stakes for creating an effective response have never been higher. For employers, the challenge is to develop a nuanced approach that addresses the needs of a diverse workforce.

Wellbeats helps by providing on-demand access to 1,000+ virtual fitness, nutrition, and mindfulness classes. With classes available for users of all ages and ability levels, Wellbeats makes it simple to equip employees with the resources they need to overcome burnout and improve mental and physical wellbeing.

Download the industry report to learn more on how to combat employee burnout now.

About Wellbeats, a LifeSpeak company

Wellbeats, a LifeSpeak company is a leading provider of on-demand virtual fitness, nutrition, and mindfulness classes for use in workplaces of all sizes, health plans, on college or university campuses, multi-family housing, the U.S. military, and fitness and health clubs. Based in St. Louis Park, MN, Wellbeats makes fitness accessible, affordable, and approachable for everyone. More than 1,000 classes and 30+ programs are available to help members stay on track and meet their goals. To learn more, visit www.wellbeats.com or check out a sampling of the company’s fitness classes during a Facebook Live class, and follow Wellbeats on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.