The risks of doing too much: Burnout

Burnout has become a growing concern in today’s fast-paced work environment, with more employees feeling overwhelmed and exhausted due to excessive work demands.

Burnout is not just about feeling tired; it’s a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress. When employees consistently work long hours without adequate rest, it can lead to severe consequences, including chronic stress, anxiety, depression, and decreased productivity. The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially recognised burnout as an occupational phenomenon, highlighting the need for measures to prevent it.

Technology has blurred the lines between working and non-working time. Employees often find themselves checking emails late at night, taking calls during weekends, and feeling the need to be constantly available. Some employers can expect it of others, afterall they do it themselves as busy entrepreneurs.

Described as the “always-on” culture contributes significantly to burnout, as it erodes the boundaries that should exist between work and rest and in the future, the issue is going to be even more significant for employers.

Recognizing the detrimental effects, governments around the world are proposing measures to protect employees’ well-being. One such proposal gaining traction is the introduction of a “right to disconnect.” This policy aims to ensure that employees have the right to disconnect from work-related communications outside of their official working hours, without facing negative repercussions from their employers.

The right to disconnect is not a new concept. Countries like France have already implemented such laws, requiring employers to establish specific hours during which employees are not expected to engage in work-related activities. This move is designed to protect employees’ mental health and promote a healthier work-life balance.

In the UK, Labour has stated in its Make Work Pay document that it plans to introduce a Right to Switch Off/Disconnect in this parliament. We think this will result in a ACAS Code of Practice being introduced that employers will be expected to have followed. Normally when a Code of Practice has been breached the tribunal has discretion to award an uplift to any compensation due to the claimant. This could be in line with other uplifts as much as 25%.

Once the detail is released we will encourage employers to create a policy statement on Right to Disconnect to protect employees and their wellbeing.

By mandating that employers respect employees’ time off, this policy can help create a healthier work culture. That will need some employers to think about on-call, contacting employees outside of their working hours, and expecting people to attend work for meetings/training etc when they would not normally be working.

If you have any questions relating to Right to Disconnect and the Government’s proposals, please do call us on 01527 909436.