What does the workplace of the future look like? And how does it contribute to employees’ mental well-being? 

As work environments continue to change in a post-pandemic world, working for a company that allows you to work from home a few days out of the week (or even work remotely full time) is a modern-day dream that most employees enjoy.

However, these new ways of working also have their downsides when not managed properly.

Whether it is responding to work emails while trying to relax on your couch or struggling to disconnect from work when your office is just a few steps away from your bedroom, this blurring of boundaries between office and home is just one of the many contributors to burnout and mental health issues in the workplace. 

To make matters worse, many employees are struggling with communication, connection, coordination, and creativity in this new environment, leading to feelings of isolation, low motivation, and decreased job satisfaction.

The 2023 workforce can be a thrilling and rewarding movement to be part of, but it is essential to acknowledge and address the challenges of hybrid and remote working environments to ensure employee well-being. 

In this article, we will delve deeper into these challenges and explore 6 important factors to consider in order to promote a happy, productive workforce in 2023.

Let’s begin.

Causes of Burnout and Mental Health Issues in the Workplace

Burnout and mental health issues in the workplace are complex and multi-dimensional, with different individuals experiencing varying degrees of challenges.

One of the primary causes of burnout is overwork, as employees try to balance the demands of home life with maintaining the same level of work performance.

Additionally, in a remote work environment, it can be difficult to maintain a sense of connection and teamwork. Employees may then feel isolated, unsupported, and/or undervalued, leading to a lack of motivation and engagement. 

And finally, with the ability to work from anywhere at any time, employees may struggle to disconnect from work and feel pressure to be available around the clock, leading to decreased work-life balance and increased stress levels.

As business leaders, it is crucial to ask these key questions in order to understand what your employees need to address these issues: What can we do to support our employees’ mental health and well-being? How can we properly establish clear boundaries and expectations around work hours and availability? And how do we build a supportive work environment that values employees’ mental health and well-being?

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How to Prevent and Address Burnout and Mental Health Issues

To effectively prevent and address burnout and mental health issues across all departments of your organisation, these 6 areas should be considered:

1) Working time and workload: To help employees organise their time and workload, leaders should encourage them to set boundaries between work and personal life, create a schedule that includes breaks, and prioritise tasks based on urgency and importance. To make this happen, start by asking these questions:

a. What are the current needs and challenges of both the organisation and the employees, and how can we ensure that these insights are incorporated appropriately and effectively into scheduling and workload?

b. How can we provide flexible work arrangements, such as compressed workweeks or reduced hours, to help employees balance their work and personal responsibilities?

c. How can we encourage employees to communicate their needs around their workload and request additional support or resources when necessary?

2) Performance management: Leaders can ensure effective performance management of multimodal teams by establishing a robust and clear system to set objectives, tasks, and milestones. Additionally, regular communication and cooperation between management and employees should be established to ensure that team performance is maintained, commitments to stakeholders, customers, and beneficiaries are fulfilled, and employees’ well-being is safeguarded. To make this happen, ask these key questions: 

a. Have we established clear objectives, tasks, and milestones for each team member? 

b. How often should we communicate and check on progress to ensure that objectives are being met without overburdening employees with too much reporting or micromanaging their work?

c. How can we effectively support our employees so that they are constantly motivated to stay on task, reach milestones, and focus on company goals even when working remotely?

3) Digitalisation: Leaders can facilitate more productive, collaborative, and less stressful work processes by giving employees access to all necessary technology. To make this happen, start by asking:

a. Are employees provided with the necessary digital tools and resources to work efficiently and effectively from home?

b. Are employees trained to use digital tools effectively and efficiently to minimise frustration and reduce work-related stress?

c.  Are managers monitoring the use of digital tools to ensure that they are not overburdening employees with excessive work demands?

d.  Are there clear guidelines on digital etiquette, including email and chat communication, to promote professionalism and reduce miscommunication?

4) Communication: Remote teams face more significant communication challenges than face-to-face teams, which can lead to professional isolation and social disconnection. To overcome these challenges, managers should encourage the use of multiple communication channels, such as video conferencing, instant messaging, and email, to facilitate effective communication, foster more collaboration, trust, and transparency, and build stronger working relationships. The following key questions can help:

a. What are the communication channels that are most effective for our team, and how can we ensure that everyone has access to these tools for effective communication? 

b. How can we promote trust and transparency in our teams’ communication? 

c.  What regular weekly face-to-face activities (whether in-person or online) can we put in place to strengthen the rapport between team members?

5) Training: Leaders need to provide training and development opportunities to help employees and managers adapt to the challenges and opportunities of hybrid or remote working, including managing remote teams, building motivation, maintaining good team collaboration, and balancing work and personal life. The following key questions can help:

a. What training and development opportunities are available for employees to manage the challenges and opportunities presented by hybrid or full-time remote working?

b. How can we ensure that the training and development opportunities provided are relevant and effective in supporting employees in this new way of working?

c. What resources do we need to allocate to ensure that training and development opportunities are accessible and widely available to all employees, regardless of their location or job role?

6) Work-life balance: Leaders can help employees maintain work-life balance by managing them by results, rather than focusing on hours or specific schedules. By keeping the workload manageable and setting clear, realistic expectations regarding the specific results to be achieved, employees are better equipped to organise their own time and tasks in order to effectively balance their work obligations with their personal lives, including their family responsibilities. To do this, start by asking the following questions:

a. How can we ensure that employees have clear expectations and objectives and that they understand what is expected of them in terms of work outcomes?

b. What resources and support can we provide to help employees manage their workloads and prioritise their tasks effectively?

c. How can we help employees set boundaries and disconnect from work during their personal time to avoid the risk of burnout?

d. What communication channels and processes can we establish to ensure that employees can raise concerns or challenges related to their work-life balance, and how can we address these issues effectively?

The shift towards hybrid and remote work is not easy, nor is it quick. But through this slow-paced journey, we have discovered new ways of performing tasks virtually or from a distance, which have led to increased productivity, cost savings, and improved work-life balance for employees… when done right.

Whether for the near future or longer term, hybrid and full-time remote work arrangements will be the new norm for many organisations across various industries. And much like traditional work environments, it is not immune to the risks of burnout.

As scale-up specialists, we have found that despite all this, employee well-being is still possible with the right tools and guidance, as evidenced by the companies we have worked with through the years. Partner with us today if you want us to do the same for you.

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