A leading wellness expert has warned business owners and managers to look out for the tell-tale signs of employee burnout.
Penny Weston, Founder and Director of Moddershall Oaks Country Spa Retreat, was speaking at the 20th anniversary lunch of Finest and Future Finest – Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce’s professional services network.
She said burnout was largely brought on by high levels of stress over a protracted period and, often, people did not know they were suffering from it – or didn’t know how to ask for help.
Penny said that it was a major issue on the rise in the workplace, and was responsible for high-level absenteeism, lack of productivity and staff turnover.
She added that business leaders needed to lead by example and show the right way for employees to strike a work life balance.
Speaking to an audience of more than 100 Finest and Future Finest members at the luxury spa retreat and venue near to Stone, Staffordshire, Penny said: “Before Covid I assumed people came to us to lose weight, build strength and socialise.
“It wasn’t until lockdown was forced upon us that I realised the number of members who were struggling with their mental health and needed an escape.
“People came to us as a respite from everyday stresses in their lives.
“One of the main reasons they came was to prevent themselves from burning out.”
She added: “We did a survey at Moddershall Oaks and found that 60 per cent of respondents said they often or constantly suffered from burnout.
“Burnout is getting more and more common and it is a state of physical, mental and emotional exhaustion, usually caused by excessive stress over long periods of time.
“Research has shown that nearly 50 per cent of workers in the UK have suffered burnout at some point, and from a business owner’s and executive’s perspective that means absence, lack of productivity and staff turnover.
“Many of us in the room are responsible for others in the workplace. So I wanted to share some signs to look out for from colleagues who suffer from burnout but don’t know how to ask for help or don’t even recognise they are suffering from it.”
Penny said that disengagement, isolation – such as constantly have lunch alone, colleagues who are a little bit too sensitive to feedback, those lacking energy and those generally being a bit more negative were all tell-tale signs.
She added: “However, we must lead by example – so there is no way we can advocate a work-life balance if we are going to be sending emails in the middle of the night and never take any holidays.”
She added: “I do think the mindset of business owners in general is shifting.
“Companies tend to take more ownership now, rather than encouraging employees to leave stress at the door and wear a metaphorical mask and get on with it.
“However, 82 per cent of SMEs still don’t have a wellbeing strategy in place so there is clearly work to do.”
The event also saw outgoing Finest and Future Finest Chairs Alex Ward-Brassington and Peter Rossiter hand over the reins to Michaela Daly and Thomas Rushton.
Staffordshire Chambers President Kate Beardmore thanked them for their hard work and commitment to the roles, which included getting things back on track following Covid.
The day was sponsored by Sempar Accountancy & Tax, Michelin, Richard Jacobs Pensions, Now u Know Training Ltd, Handelsbanken, Oakleafe Claims and Begbies Traynor Group.
