What is employee burnout?

According to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), burnout is:

“A syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions:

• feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;
• increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and
• reduced professional efficacy.

Burnout refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life.”

In essence, the World Health Organization classifies burnout as an occupational and mental health issue rather than a physical health issue. Although the concept of burnout is not new, it’s something that both employers and employees are becoming increasingly aware of.

One challenge that you may face is identifying when an employee is suffering from burnout. Some symptoms such as exhaustion, depression or stress can often be mistaken for burnout. It’s essential to learn the differences and understand how to manage the kinds of issues employees may be facing.

Read more:Managing stress in the workplace: 12 stress management tips for managers.

What is the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI)?

The Maslach Burnout Inventory measures a person’s psychological state by asking questions about different symptoms of burnout, covering up to five key areas. Those areas are:

• Emotional exhaustion
• Depersonalization
• Personal accomplishment
• Cynicism
• Professional efficacy

There are several different sets of forms that employers can use to assess someone based on this method. Each form covers a different occupational area, for example:

• Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS)
• Human Services Survey for Medical Personnel (MBI-HSS (MP))
• Educators Survey (MBI-ES)
• General Survey (MBI-GS)
• General Survey for Students (MBI-GS (S))

Each survey has between 16 and 22 questions. The first three surveys cover emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment. The two general surveys cover emotional exhaustion, cynicism and professional efficacy.

The surveys ask workers to answer questions using a frequency scale from 0 (never) up to 6 (every day). Responses are then scored for each category to give an indication of whether a person is likely to be suffering from burnout

What is the Bergen Burnout Indicator (BBI)?

Another way of measuring burnout is to use the Bergen Burnout Indicator. This is sometimes referred to as the Bergen Burnout Inventory. It considers three areas of burnout that are quite similar to the ones used in the MBI:

• Exhaustion at work
• Cynicism towards the meaning of work
• A sense of inadequacy at work

This burnout scale uses nine items to rate a person’s level of burnout across those three factors. It can be applied to any occupation, and the questions are designed to be generic. The BBI is newer than the MBI and was created partly because of criticism of the wording of some of the questions found in the former.

What are the drawbacks to these burnout scales?

Both the Bergen Burnout Indicator and the Maslach Burnout Inventory rely on employee responses to questions that are quite broad, such as “I feel emotionally drained from my work.”

Critics of these questions feel they may be too broad or that some of the questions might even be worded in a way that appears to be asking about a personal characteristic, rather than a symptom of burnout. In addition, because these scales use just a few questions for each area they’re analyzing, it can be difficult to get a true picture of a person’s well-being.

It’s important to choose the right survey tool for the job and not use surveys as the sole means of diagnosis of burnout.

How can you accurately measure employee burnout?

While awareness of burnout has increased in the last few years, many individuals use the term to describe any kind of stress or tiredness. Someone who “feels like they need a vacation” after working overtime to complete a large project might describe themselves as being burned out. However, if they generally feel their work is important and that they’re performing well, they’re unlikely to score highly on the cynicism or professional efficacy indicators of burnout.

One common mistake employers may make when employing the MBI or BBI is to treat someone who is scoring highly in one area as having burnout, even though it maynot be an indication of burnout. Another mistake is to use shortened tests that have only one question per category. Many employers don’t adequately understand how the scales work and use online quizzes without having the expertise to interpret the results or assess their validity.

This is a potential problem that can lead to people being mis-categorized. Those who don’t meet the criteria for burnout may end up being listed as suffering from it, while others who might have met the criteria on a full-length test may be overlooked.

If you suspect that an employee is burned out, or in the process of burning out, consider looking at why the employee is showing these signs and find ways to support them and others in their team. If employees cite feeling burned out as a reason for leaving in an exit interview, ask them to describe their feelings in more detail. The feedback they provide could be beneficial in setting up support networks and reviewing internal processes.

Because burnout is strictly an occupational problem, one or more employees showing signs of burnout across multiple categories could be an indicator they’ve been under pressure or working in a less-than-ideal environment for a significant amount of time.

Read More: Spring into a less stressed workplace

Be alert to warning signs of burnout

While employees scoring highly for just one of the indicators of burnout isn’t always sign that they are experiencing it, it’s worth considering why people in your organization might be having issues in that area. For example, if multiple employees are experiencing exhaustion, that could be a sign they’re overworked. If multiple employees are showing signs of cynicism and think their work is pointless, this could indicate issues with their working environment.

Consider whether those employees are bogged down by excessive red tape or have reason to feel their feedback or thoughts in certain areas are ignored. Are there improvements you could make to reduce the stresses faced by individual employees?

Used ethically and correctly, burnout indicators can be a good tool for understanding your employee’s well-being and improving the workplace for all concerned.