Workplace burnout has become a common problem as the hustle and bustle is back post-pandemic. For many, we’re back to long hours and higher stress of everyday life, leading to employee burnout. When burnout occurs, employees’ productivity and work quality can drop significantly.
Several factors can cause burnout, but there are services that can help. To reduce workplace burnout, a wellness spending account (WSA) can help employees recharge and give them the strength to persevere.
Workplace Burnout: What is it?
The World Health Organization defines burnout as a result of unsuccessfully managed chronic workplace stress. It is characterized by three dimensions:
- Feelings of exhaustion
- Increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativity toward one’s job
- Reduced professional efficacy (ability to produce a desired or intended result)
Burnout is not a medical diagnosis, so there is no single problem one can point to. Whatever the cause, job burnout can affect one’s physical and mental health. Everyone feels tired from time to time, but if you are experiencing burnout, the exhaustion can be overwhelming – you feel tired constantly, both physically and emotionally. You will also perceive an increased mental distance or detachment from your job or have a lot of negative and cynical thoughts. You may suddenly dislike the job you previously were passionate about – and this lower engagement itself starts to feel frustrating. Workplace burnout causes everything to feel overwhelming, and the effects ripple into our personal lives.
The Lies We Tell Ourselves
Employees who have recovered from burnout shared what they called “the lies we told ourselves” about the signs of burnout, even when loved ones pointed it out to them. These included:
- ‘I’m fine’
- ‘I love my job’
- ‘I’m happy to take on more work’
- ‘You don’t understand, no one else can do this task’
- ‘If you stop, you will let people down’
The list goes on, as did the burnout when employees did nothing to fight it. The truth is that many don’t think anything is wrong. Many also do not know they have support to help them prosper. Creating a wellness program can help combat this belief.
How WSAs Reduce Workplace Burnout
Whether workplace burnout is caused by an unsustainable workload, job insecurity, or just the month of January, everyone who’s been in the workplace long enough has felt it to a degree. WSAs can help eliminate burnout and, more importantly, prevent it from happening in the first place.
Here are a few of the services and benefits of a WSA that can combat workplace burnout:
- Fitness Memberships – Fitness increases well-being and decreases psychological distress, perceived stress, and emotional exhaustion
- Nutrition Programs – Proper nutrition brings your body back into balance
- Personal / Family Care – Adds convenience and reduces stress
- Mental Health Services – Keeps you mentally healthy
- Alternative and Complementary Therapies – Services like sleep therapy can help to increase sleep quality
While WSAs cannot always eliminate what is causing burnout, they can provide the power and energy for employees to overcome the challenges and persevere. Offering a WSA is a great way to care for employees’ well-being and mental health. It can also help to reduce absenteeism and turnover while boosting productivity. If your employees are feeling burned out, a WSA can be a great way to help them take care of themselves and avoid further burnout.
Conclusion
WSAs provide access to numerous services where they can regularly recharge because employee career longevity benefits every employee and the company’s success.
Learn more about how the HSA and WSA can relieve workplace burnout. Contact the team at HSA Easy Pay Ltd. for a free consultation or to request a demo. We provide an HSA Prepaid Mastercard solution for businesses of any size to ease the stresses for your entire team!
Healthcare is stressful enough. Paying for it shouldn’t be.
