Workplace Burnout

Cases of burnout in your organisation are akin to a "canary in the coal mine."

You've likely heard the story of how, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, canaries were employed as a highly effective warning system for detecting the presence of harmful gases building up in underground mines. When the canary displayed distress, miners knew to evacuate the area or take precautionary measures to protect themselves.

Similarly, employees displaying symptoms of burnout can be seen as early indicators of potential issues within your organisation. While many discussions about burnout tend to focus on the individual, it's essential to recognise that they are also signalling underlying problems within the organisation.

These are the categories that most frequently contribute to workplace burnout:

1. Values and Meaning, and whether they align with the job.
2. Workload and available resources.
3. Agency, or the level of control individuals have over their work.
4. Mismatch in roles and responsibilities.
5. Internal relationships and psychological safety.
6. Fairness and discrimination.

As is evident from this list, it would be unjust to blame the canary. Instead, we should recognise that cases of burnout are indicators of broader issues we need to be addressed in company level.