With the increase in disorders linked to stress and burn-out (1 in 51 French people affected each year and 1 in 22 employees who consider themselves to be in psychological distress), mental health at work is becoming a priority. It is therefore essential to properly support employers to help them play their prevention role and initiate concrete actions.
How to spot burnout before it becomes critical?
Burn-out is not a simple “shot of fatigue”. It is a complex syndrome, with progressive manifestations: physical and emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and disengagement at work. It is essential to detect weak signals such as persistent anxiety, insomnia, or even reduced efficiency.
A doctor confronted with an employee experiencing burnout can prescribe work stoppage for this reason. And the High Authority for Health (HAS) underlines the importance of making an analysis of the employee’s working conditions available to the attending physician.
It is possible to act before it is too late, thanks to a thorough assessment, via tools such as the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), which helps employers and managers spot these signs. But it is also important to train HR managers to analyze working conditions, a key factor often linked to the appearance of burnout.
How does work impact mental health?
According to the WHO, work can protect the mental health of employees if it provides them with a means of subsistence, gives them a sense of accomplishment and allows them to have positive relationships in a structuring framework.
-But it can also degrade it in the event of:
- underutilization of skills; under-promotion or over-promotion,
- excessive workload or pace of work; schedules incompatible with social and family life,
- poorly defined functions; lack of room for maneuver in defining tasks or workload,
- dangerous or arduous working conditions,
- violence, harassment, discrimination, exclusion; authoritarian supervision,
- job insecurity and insufficient pay.
What concrete actions can be taken to limit the impact of new work organizations on the well-being of employees?
New forms of work organization – intensive teleworking, poorly managed flexibility, or task overload – can weigh heavily on the mental health of employees. With a 25% increase in disorders such as depression and anxiety since the pandemic (particularly among young professionals and managers), businesses have a crucial role to play.
We therefore recommend that they implement actions that limit the risks of burnout, for example:
- Train managers to recognize stress signals in their teams and to adopt caring management practices.
- Rebalance workloads, including adjusting schedules and goals to avoid burnout.
- Establish a structuring framework, allowing employees to better reconcile professional and personal life, while providing psychological support if necessary.
