Mental Health – Job Burnout Fact Sheet

WHAT IS MEANT BY JOB BURNOUT?

WHAT ARE SOME GENERAL EFFECTS OF JOB BURNOUT?

General effects include:

being cynical or critical at work or always having a negative or suspicious response to work conditions
struggling to get to work or having trouble being productive when you arrive
being irritable or impatient with co-workers, customers or clients
lacking energy, or feelings of apathy or hopelessness
being tired, forgetful, or lack of attention
lack of satisfaction from your achievements or lack of enjoyment in activities outside of work
feeling unappreciated for your work or contributions
disillusionment about your job, feelings of detachment, or being disconnected
feeling the need to use food, drugs, or alcohol to feel better or to simply not feel
that your sleep habits have changed (having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep)
that your appetite has changed (over or under eating)
being troubled by unexplained headaches, backaches, or other physical complaints

Burnout is often chronic – meaning that these feelings may exist for a long time.

While these effects or symptoms are common when experiencing job burnout, they can also be the result of other health conditions, such as thyroid problems, vitamin deficiency, or depression. Check with your medical or health professional and ask about appropriate treatments.

In general, feeling sad or low is a part of life and can’t be avoided. When something goes wrong in your life, your mood might drop. If you feel especially sad or irritable because of a situation and have poor sleep, less interest in seeing friends, or frequent worry about the situation, you’re probably experiencing low mood. Low mood will typically go away in a week or two, especially if there’s an improvement in the situation that started it. When these feelings remain for longer than about two weeks, it is important to ask for help.

WHAT ARE SOME FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH JOB BURNOUT?

Various factors can contribute to job burnout, including:

unreasonable demands
lack of control or the ability to influence decisions that affect your job (e.g., scheduling, workload, resources)
unclear job expectations
poor work environment (e.g., bullying, harassment, etc.)
a miss-match in values or job fit
lack of support, either at work or at home
lack of work-life balance

HOW CAN CAUSES OF JOB BURNOUT BE ADDRESSED?

A workplace committed to the creation of an environment that promotes mental health provides its employees with protection from psychological harm while promoting healthy lifestyle habits.

As noted by the Great-West Life Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace, many of the organizational factors described in the CSA standard Z1003-13 (R2018) “Psychological health and safety in the workplace – Prevention, promotion, and guidance to staged implementation” (available for free from the CSA Group website) are the same factors that contribute to job burnout.

The thirteen psychosocial workplace risk factors are:

Psychological support
Organizational culture
Clear leadership and expectations
Civility and respect
Psychological job fit
Growth and development
lack of work-life balance
Recognition and reward
Involvement and influence
Workload management
Engagement
Balance
Psychological protection
Protection of physical safety