Editor’s Note: Tackling The Employee Burnout Epidemic

Over the past two years, there has been a renewed focus on employee-wellbeing. The disruption caused by the pandemic has led to a vast majority of employees reporting burnout. The whole scenario has raised our awareness on burnout and other issues related to workplace mental health and wellbeing. Organizations that take the time to prioritize wellness on all fronts will thrive in 2022 and beyond.

As we head into the third year of turbulent times, organizations are increasingly turning their attention to addressing burnout and mental health issues at work.

The January issue of Employee Benefits & Wellness Excellence, focusing on employee burnout, includes expert articles offering valuable insights on identifying the drivers of employee burnout and strategies and solutions to support the workforce in 2022.

The first step to improving burnout is making sure that executives, managers and employees know how to identify it. The cover article by Paula Allen, Employee Burnout: Strategies And Solutions To Support Your Workforce, focuses on addressing and managing burnout and enhancing employee wellbeing in the workplace.

The winter blues, pandemic fatigue, quarantines, isolation and the frustration of still living with Covid with limited social interactions is understandably impacting our mental health. Megan Eastlick’s article, How To Address Mental Health And Addiction Struggles At Workplace As Covid Fatigue Sets In, shares ways to combat the virus, while dealing with mental health and addiction issues in the workplace.

In the 2021 Global State of Frontline Worker Experiences Study, more than half of frontline retail workers said they planned to leave their job, and 58% reported burnout as the top reason. Martin Hartshorne’s article, Key Strategies To Prevent And Manage Burnout In 2022, suggests ways to support shift workers manage employee burnout.

Are all employees experiencing burnout to the degree that we are being led to believe? William McPeck’s article, Experiencing Burnout Or Something Else? talks about why workplaces need to become positive, supportive and caring places even if employees struggle with burnout or not.

In brief, as businesses welcome back employees and look to recruit new talent amid a labor shortage, creating a culture a wellness will be mandatory to build a happy and productive workforce.

We hope you enjoy reading the informative articles in this issue that helps address employee wellbeing in your organizations in 2022 and beyond.

As usual, we look forward to your valuable feedback and suggestions on our articles.

Happy Reading!