Burnout: 2 out of 10 employees report symptoms of “burnout” due to a toxic work environment

The burnout syndrome It officially entered the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Classification of Diseases in January 2022. The effects of the pandemic had brought this condition to the fore, affecting 51% of healthcare workers, according to a study by a medical journal The hand.

But chronic work stress has a long history. Today, in Argentina, 2 out of 10 employees suffer from its symptoms and the main cause is a toxic work environmentaccording to a survey carried out between February and April by the McKinsey Health Institute, to which Clarione exclusively agreed.

Furthermore, according to this report, between 3 and 4 out of 10 Argentine employees report moderate levels of discomforta type of stress that produces a progressive loss of energy, emotional exhaustion and general demotivation.

These figures are similar to the average of the 15 countries surveyed by McKinsey’s research, which showed that nearly 25% of employees experience symptoms of burnout.

At the same time, the study found a 22% gap between how well-being is perceived by employees and employers. Employers assessed the size of the workplace associated with mental health more favorable than employees.

For the report, 15,000 employees and 1,000 HR managers from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, South Africa, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States were interviewed.

In our country, the 21st century university Since 2016 it has produced a burnout and well-being index, in its Observatory of Social and Business Trends. The latest data available, from 2021, indicate that 29.8% of workers suffer from chronic work stress.

“The trend that is observed is growing. According to our index, chronic work stress is growing between 2% and 5% year on year”, says Leonardo Medrano, Doctor of Psychology and Vice-Rector for Innovation, Research and postgraduate studies at Siglo 21 University.

Although it is a multi-causal phenomenon “it generally occurs when you perceive that there is a situation that overwhelms your resources. It can be said that people are feeling less and less resourceful to face the daily challenges, “she says.

Toxicity

The McKinsey study correlates the toxic work environment with the appearance of symptoms of exhaustion and distress. Considering all the countries in the sample, when there are low levels of toxicity, only 6.9% of employees report symptoms of burnout. Conversely, when levels of toxic behavior are high, more than half of employees (52.5%) report symptoms.

But, in addition, also chronic work stress it is the strongest predictor of the intention to quit. Therefore, among employees reporting low levels of symptoms, only 8.2% express an intention to resign. This percentage is almost multiplied by 6, reaching 52%, when symptom reporting is high.

The other way, inclusion is the main predictor of job engagement and satisfaction in all the countries surveyed. Sustainable work, a favorable growth environment and the absence of stigmatization also work together.

When is the work environment considered toxic? According to McKinsey’s work, it is toxic when employees experience interpersonal behaviors that lead them to feel undervaluedundervalued or insecure.

Unfair or degrading treatment, non-inclusive behavior, sabotage, fierce competitionAbusive management and unethical behavior by managers or colleagues are the main indicators of toxicity in the workplace.

Globally, one in four employees say they have experienced high rates of toxic behavior at work. This was found in all countries, demographic groups and sectors surveyed.

what is burnout

According to WHO, burnout is a work-related phenomenon caused by a chronic imbalance between work demands (e.g., workload pressure and poor work environment) and labor resources (e.g., work autonomy and supportive relationships ).

It is characterized by exhausted, reduced ability to regulate cognitive and emotional processes and mental detachment. It was demonstrated that burnout is correlated with anxiety and depressionand it can often lead to wider mental health problems.

Research shows that when asked about aspects of their work that undermine their mental health and well-being, employees often cite feeling of being always available, unfair treatment, unreasonable workloadlittle autonomy and lack of social support.

Medrano points out three factors that influence the development of symptoms of burnout: “One has to do with the worker and their task. When you have little resources or time or little autonomy and unclear goals, the stress increases,” he says.

Secondly, there are the leader and the working group: “When there is fhigh perception of team support, low collective effectiveness (one cannot coordinate with others), the perception of stress also increases. When you feel that there is no recognition of your achievements and commitment, you have no feedback, but rather uncertainty, the leader becomes a source of stress “, details Medrano.

Finally, there are the cultural and organizational factors: “Economic and non-economic benefits or rewards they are a factor associated with stress when they are lacking. Having them doesn’t necessarily protect you from stress, but not having them has an impact on you, “warns the specialist.

According to the McKinsey report, most employers are responding to these problems by investing more in wellbeing than ever: four out of five human resource leaders report that both mental health and wellbeing are top priorities for their organization.

Therefore, many companies offer benefits such as yoga, meditation app subscriptions, wellness days, and time management training. In fact, nine out of ten organizations are estimated to offer some type of wellness program. However, the toxicity problems that lead to burnout syndrome are usually not reversed with these programs.

“Decades of research suggest that interventions targeted solely at individuals are far less likely to have a sustainable impact on employee health than systemic solutions, including interventions at the organization level”States the McKinsey report.

The price paid for not addressing these specific factors in a systematic way is a high level of attrition, unprecedented levels of employee turnover (a global phenomenon), absenteeism, less involvement and decreased productivity.

Although individuals’ resilience and adaptability can help avoid the symptoms of burnout, it is difficult for them to offset the impact of a toxic work environment.

In fact, research has shown this highly adaptable employees were 60% more likely to report intention to leave their organization, if they have experienced high levels of toxic behavior at work, compared to those with low adaptability.

For this reason, the report ensures that some employers’ belief that the solution is simply to train people to be more resilient is wrong.

“Employers can and should view high burnout rates as a powerful warning sign the organization, and not the individuals in the workforce, must undergo a change systematically significant, ”the report states.

The resignation in Argentina

Even in the context of the instability that exists in our country, emotional well-being is among the most appreciated aspects of work.

In a survey conducted by Cuponstar among employees of 130 client companies in Argentina, 74.5% of respondents stated that Would you consider quitting your job if it didn’t offer benefits related to your emotional well-being?. 87.8% admitted that, after the pandemic, employees became more demanding with employer benefits.

“Employee priorities are changing today. Our survey revealed that emotional compensation is so important to employees that, even in an unfavorable economic environment, the majority would consider leaving their jobs if they did not anticipate benefits related to their well-being. – be emotional, “says Brian Klahr, co-founder of Cuponstar.

In this sense, the benefit considered most important by the interviewees was the flexible schedule reconcile working life with personal life (46.1%), followed by work for objectives and remotely from wherever the employee wants (27%).

Prevention

“Burnout does not develop overnight, but gradually,” says Medrano. And he describes: “The first symptoms are fatigue and problems with concentration”.

Cynicism appears later: work loses meaning, it doesn’t matter if you do it right or wrong, the employee has difficulty feeling proud or having fun. He is cynical about his duties. After these two phases, “only burnout appears”.

The way to manage the syndrome, Medrano advises, is to identify those early stages and take prevention-oriented actions at that time. “I’m phases that are easier to deal with and to work, “he says.