Burnout complaints among employees: what is needed in 2022?

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A good balance between work and private life, that is especially important in these times and a priority for the future. More than a million Dutch people annually suffer from burnout complaints, such as stress and fatigue. For employers, the cost item continues to rise, currently exceeding 3 billion euros. Standard hybrid working can offer a solution.

Burnout is not caused by work. The workplace and the pressure can be a trigger, but there are always underlying factors behind it. Within the same company, one employee may be at home with burnout complaints, while a direct colleague is not bothered by anything. This shows that the way a person approaches his or her work and the private situation are important factors to look at. Work and private life can be seen as separate, but we all have one body.

Dealing with work differently

In 2020, hybrid working is forced to become a way of working that employers can no longer ignore. And perhaps this is a way for many employees to deal with work differently. It requires time management (https://timemanagement.net), flexibility and responsibility, and it can make someone experience less tension. A major advantage of hybrid working is that the travel time is considerably reduced and people can do their work undisturbed.

Flexible working

Research by LinkedIn shows that 4 in 10 Dutch people require flexible working as a condition of employment. More and more people want to work for organizations where mental and physical health are high on the agenda. After two years of the corona crisis, people have come to appreciate that they can run an errand in between, exercise for an hour or work a little longer. The research also shows that salary is still an important factor, in addition to flexible working hours, when applying for a position.

In addition to hybrid work, it is important that employers pay sufficient attention to burnout complaints. Often too few measures are taken or the Works Council is not involved. For the health of workers, whether this is physical or mental, it is essential that the Works Council keeps a finger on the pulse. In many organizations work pressure is not a topic for discussion. Or it will be on the agenda if there is already a lot of absenteeism due to illness. However, this has nothing to do with prevention or a structural approach.

More attention is therefore paid to work pressure, especially within the healthcare & welfare and education sectors. It makes sense for an organization to collect information and to regularly sit down with the company doctor. What is really going on and what is needed to avoid such visits to the doctor? Organizations then do something, but these are more plasters on the wound, such as healthy eating in the canteen and offering yoga or meditation. Such interventions make little difference if there are structural problems that are not addressed.