Thoughts on assisting an employee returning/bouncing back from burnout.

It is not just “needing a break” and the employee is not likely to be successful just stepping back without changes. Have a discussion about the chronic work related stressors impacting the employee.

Make necessary changes before the employee fully engages back into the workplace. Communicate with the employee regarding the proposed changes.

A component of burnout is cynicism regarding the workplace. Cynicism can be caused by lack of meaningful engagement. Find out how to involve the employee in initiatives meaningful to them.

Workload. Excessive workload leads to the exhaustion and lack of efficiency that feeds burnout. An employee returning is not likely to be able to handle the same workload as before. A dramatic reduction in workload, increased supports and reduced expectations is required.

This is why steps needs to be taken to stop burnout before it happens. It’s a huge cause of lost productivity. Be proactive when concerns are raised and know that many people don’t have the courage to raise concerns at all.

Someone shared this website with me privately. It has a number of good resources: http://workplacestrategiesformentalhealth.com