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Check in on remote employees and make sure you create a culture based on open communication. When employees feel safe to speak up about mental health and burnout, it helps companies develop timely solutions and improve wellness initiatives. Remote working has led to unique issues, and not sticking to working hours is one of the major problems for organizations. A Flexjobs and Mental Health America survey concluded that 65% of remote workers are putting in more hours than they did while in office.
That’s not how things work in the office, which has physical and mental breaks built in throughout the day. You took 5-10 minutes to walk from one meeting to another, or you went to get your copies from the printer and chatted with a coworker on the way. Getty ImagesAccording to a survey by The Paper, 47% of leaders who intend to not offer remote work options say it’s because remote work is bad for employee well-being. There is a powerful link between social support in the workplace and reduced levels of burnout among employees. According to a UK study, the most important factor in workplace happiness is positive social relationships with co-workers. Just because you are no longer in the office, doesn’t mean you can’t maintain friendships remotely. Consider putting together a fun group call, or if Zoom fatigue is strong, set up a socially distanced meet-up in a park.
What is Remote Work Burnout?
It is also important to distinguish between hard-core nomads and people who just like to extend their holidays by a few weeks. If you spend a few years on the road, sooner or later you’ll start to detach from old friends and lose the familiarity and certainty of home. Basically, you can turn any place into your home, but at some point you won’t feel at home anywhere. Do whatever you can to finish your work during the week, if that’s what is expected of you.
Why is remote work so exhausting?
One of the biggest causes of work from home fatigue is a lack of boundaries between work and home. Telecommuters may run errands or do chores between meetings, or check emails and appear in Zoom meetings late into the night.
You can spot burnout in remote employees by paying attention to signs like low productivity, slow response to communication, failure to take time off, and lower interactions. Causes of burnout at work include unclear or unattainable objectives, working in isolation or long hours, and a culture that discourages taking breaks. In addition, staff morale may plummet, and job fatigue can ensue when managers fail to provide enough encouragement and acknowledgment. Still, burnout is a real problem for hybrid and remote workers, as it is for in-office workers. Employers need to offer mental health benefits with online options to help employees address these challenges, regardless of where they’re working. It’s like comparing remote and hybrid work to a state of leisure.
Overcome Remote Work Burnout in 5 Steps
It’s important to recognize its symptoms and know how to take better care of yourself as a solo talent. According to an official definition made by WHO , burnout is an “occupational phenomenon” caused by work-related stress. What separates it from anxiety is its sole connection to https://remotemode.net/ issues around work and productivity. Work burnout disrupts not only the employee of an organization but their colleagues as well at some level. This ultimately slows down the company as a whole, as the quality of work goes down even though the burnout employees push their limits.
Setting limits between professional and personal life is something remote employees struggle with, especially since it all happens remote work burnout under the same roof. It’s important that companies encourage the right to disconnect to reduce stress and burnout among employees.