{"id":804,"date":"2024-10-08T08:00:24","date_gmt":"2024-10-08T08:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biworldwide.com\/en-au\/?p=804"},"modified":"2025-04-03T13:56:26","modified_gmt":"2025-04-03T02:56:26","slug":"confronting-the-burnout-epidemic-strategies-for-organisations-to-foster-employee-wellbeing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biworldwide.com\/en-au\/our-work\/blog\/confronting-the-burnout-epidemic-strategies-for-organisations-to-foster-employee-wellbeing\/","title":{"rendered":"Confronting the Burnout Epidemic: Strategies for Organisations to Foster Employee Wellbeing"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In our constantly connected world, burnout has always been a looming threat. But in 2020, burnout exploded overnight. Millions found themselves jobless, grappling with financial and food insecurity. Frontline workers feared for their safety, while healthcare professionals risked their lives daily. A significant portion of employees began “living at work,” transforming their kitchen tables into makeshift offices. Over time, acute stress turned into chronic stress, showing little sign of letting up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This surge in burnout is the result of an existing issue that has worsened dramatically. Yet, no matter how daunting the problem seems, it’s never too late to address it. Tackling burnout might feel overwhelming, especially after enduring months of emotional exhaustion, but with the right tools, it can be more manageable than you think. And whether we’re ready or not, we can’t ignore the urgency\u2014we’re in the midst of a burnout epidemic.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is burnout?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Burnout isn’t just a personal struggle; it’s a call for organisational change. First defined in the 1970s, occupational burnout was officially recognised by the World Health Organisation in 2019. It’s described as “a syndrome conceptualised as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” But what truly causes burnout? Experts like Christina Maslach, Susan E. Jackson, and Michael Leiter point to six organisational factors: unsustainable workload, perceived lack of control, insufficient rewards, lack of community support, unfairness, and mismatched values and skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite these being organisational issues, many solutions focus on self-care: yoga, wellness apps, and gym memberships. But can these really prevent burnout? Research suggests not. A Harvard Business Review-supported study in late 2020, involving over 1,500 respondents from 46 countries, painted a worrying picture:<\/p>\n\n\n\n