Telling Your Boss You Are Burned Out

During COVID, employee burnout hit a record high and company culture began to shift. Staff numbers decreased and for many remaining employees, it felt like their employers expected more without additional compensation or changes to their job descriptions. Consequently, people reported working harder and putting in longer hours to keep up with their workloads and show their worth, leading to chronic workplace stress and burnout.

Burnout is one factor that has led to the great resignation movement. Employees who feel overworked, overwhelmed, and undervalued tend to experience higher rates of burnout. It leaves people feeling exhausted, unmotivated, unaccomplished, disengaged, and resentful. Keeping up with the demands of their job becomes increasingly more challenging.

It can be difficult to speak with your supervisor/manager/employer regarding your workload and responsibilities. Employees want their employers to know the effort they are putting in, not the challenges they are encountering completing their work. Unfortunately, many people do not come forward to ask for help. In the past, burnout may have been seen as an individual issue that could improve with better time management and planning. Most of the time, that is not the case. As a society, we talked a lot about fixing people, but spent little time evaluating company culture and expectations, or considering how to fix the job. The pandemic has brought much needed attention to the subject of workplace burnout. There is greater awareness among employers that they play a significant role in safeguarding the emotional wellbeing of their employees. There is responsibility on both sides. While good supervisors will take the initiative to check in, they aren’t mind readers and are often also juggling competing demands. You have a responsibility to speak up and to appropriately advocate for yourself. Let your supervisor know that you are struggling and ask to work together on an action plan that will help you get back on track.

Not sure if what you are experiencing is burnout? We’ve all experienced varying levels of stress, but overwhelming, chronic stress can lead to burn out. Watch for these symptoms>>