Burnout has been becoming a more common phenomenon. The technology industry is no stranger to this either. The Covid-19 pandemic caused many businesses to switch to remote working which has only put people at further risk of burnout.
There has been a huge increase in Business IT Support London Solutions that take into consideration how to manage working hours better. Many surveys have found that tech workers have been feeling more burn out working from home than they did working at the office.
Signs of burnout
There currently is not a set list of symptoms to diagnose burnout but there are symptoms that you should look out for. Some of the symptoms of burnout include lack of energy, trouble with sleeping, an increase or decrease in work attendance, loss of empathy and a short temper. These are only some of the symptoms of burnout.
It is important for businesses to look out for these symptoms and their employees’ health. We spoke to a high-stress environment, the IT and Tech sector, where an Azure Expert let us know that they have had to implement strategies to combat burnout. A company that is struggling with burnout, will only have a negative effect on the overall success of the company.
Companies that use their workers to their maximum capacity will end with the company getting a negative reputation, especially for future employees. This is why it is important to create a positive work environment that keeps workers happy and healthy. Bosses need to show empathy and take care of their employees. If a boss doesn’t care for their employees, the employees will not care for their boss either.
What causes burnout?
Research has found that burnout has exponentially increased in the technology industry since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is important to understand what causes it, to be able to prevent or treat it. Since many industries have moved to working remotely, the technology industry has remained the same and have improved in some areas.
Tech businesses have continued to create new products and people have relied on tech businesses to stay active and work correctly. Some sectors have seen large growth including online banking and video calls. This has put the tech industry under increased pressure during the lockdown. The companies have had to keep up with this increased demand, which also puts more pressure on the employees.
Tech companies, especially startups are doing their best to keep up, if not stay ahead of the trends within the industry. This makes it difficult to both maintain their employees well being and keep up with the needs of the company. Experts have found that people who work in the tech industry tend to be perfectionists, which only causes them to push themselves harder and find it difficult to separate themselves from their work. This has contributed to the increase in burnout in the industry.
Will this ever change?
Although the pandemic has led to an increase in burnout, it has also created new opportunities. There has been a shift towards focusing on and improving mental health. Society has become more accepting and open about mental health, which has caused many companies to improve the support they provide for their employees.
Companies that have been working with remote teams since before the pandemic have shown that it is possible to both be successful and provide support to their employees. Data from these companies have found that a shift to a hybrid workspace will benefit both the company and its employees. This allows for more flexibility and will reduce the risk of burnout.
Positive responses
The changes caused by the pandemic have put pressure on companies to respond. One of these companies is Mozilla. They gave their employees a paid week off of work to allow their employees to take some time to focus on themselves,without worrying about work. According to the senior director and head of culture and engagement at Mozilla, they’ve been working across multiple timezones for many years and have been encouraging their employees to take time for themselves and to focus on their families.
Mozilla encourages the implementation of flexible working hours and has surpassed the benchmark for the best work-life balance in the tech industry. According to results from an employee engagement survey, the changes that they have implemented are highly appreciated by their employees. In 2020, they tested out paid wellness days and received high praises from their employees, especially with the increased stress caused by the pandemic.