In today’s working ecosystem, hybrid models play a crucial role. The model enables employees to choose a working arrangement that suits their preferences, and it also provides productivity, a broader talent pool, and flexibility.
However, the model comes with its own set of issues, such as burnouts, lack of communication and more. But in order to Prevent burnout in hybrid work, which has become one of the hassles to handle, there are few basic steps that can be taken.
However, HR management can play an important role in ensuring that hybrid employee well-being is properly maintained and has structures to follow.
But before exploring the solutions, let’s understand more about what causes such situations in the first place and what strategies can HRs consider to prevent them.
What Is The Current State Of Burnout In Hybrid Work Model?
Burnout has been a challenging part for workplaces to handle regardless of the working model.
The symptoms have been recognized by WHO or the World Health Organisation as a result of continuous stress that hasn’t been addressed or managed successfully.
According to Gallup’s 2023 study, 44% of employees recorded feeling stressed in their workplace on a daily basis.
However, a hybrid structure adds more complexity as the employees have to juggle the continuous switch between in-office and remote work.
A lot of time, it blurred the boundaries of their professional and personal life, creating more disturbance and overwhelming feelings.
Also, a Microsoft Report in 2022 stated that hybrid workers like to feel’ always on’, whereas 54% tend to get overworked, and 39% feel exhausted.
Why Hybrid Work Model Face Burnouts?
1. Lack Of Balance In Personal & Professional Life
When it comes to working remotely, the absence of any physical space in the office creates a challenging environment for the employees.
As the line between personal and professional life can blur. It also leads employees to extend their working hours, creating an issue of not having personal time with family or for themselves.
2. Create A Feeling of Social Isolation
Working hybrid means less interaction with colleagues, creating the feeling of isolation and loneliness.
Also, the switch between remote and on-site creates a hassle in connecting or establishing relationships between office colleagues.
A lack of face-to-face integration and team engagement results in feeling more emotionally exhausted, leading to burnout-like symptoms.
3. Continuous Required To Be Available & Productive
Even though working remotely offers flexibility, it can also make employees feel like they are always at work.
Also, this means making the employees feel like they have to be constantly available and productive. With no clear line between workplace and home, they feel overworked, causing emotional and physical fatigue, which contributes to burnout.
4. Communication Barriers & Challenges
According to Fishbowl’s recent survey, 50.8% of professionals had trouble understanding the hybrid work plan.
It also includes communication barriers such as differences in time zones, dependency on digital communication and non-verbal cues.
This also causes misunderstandings and time wastage in covering errors or issues, which eventually increases stress and burnout.
How To Prevent Burnout In a Hybrid Work Model?
1. Establish A Clear & Defined Working Hours
To Prevent Employee Burnout, the HR managers can set the specific working hours for their employees. Also, ensure that everyone is sticking to the given hours rigorously.
As a management, the boundary should be clearly understood by everyone so they can have enough time for their personal life. Managers should also respect the hybrid timing and send work-related messages or assign tasks accordingly.
2. Create Virtual Team Building Exercises
Fostering a sense of camaraderie and community among the hybrid workers, the HR team can create multiple activities for team building. It can be a virtual break, book club or online games, depending on the interest of the employees.
With these activities, not only do the employees feel closer to each other, but they can also help reduce isolation and stress.
Besides this, team-building exercises contribute to improving communication and collaborative skills.
3. Have A Regular Check-Ins & Structure Workload System
The management can introduce regular check-ins, which can be weekly or daily. HR can also have a structured forum where employees can discuss their workload, well-being, and challenges.
You can also utlise Slack and Microsoft Teams as communication platforms to offer clear and open communication. This also helps the employees to feel valued and heard to reduce their burnout.
4. Encourage Employees To Use Their Vacations & Leavens
With a hybrid model, the employee or the management overlooks the time spent in and leaving. The company can create a policy to promote vacation days and personal leave.
Besides this, HR allows their hybrid working employees to utilize their vacations to recharge both physically and mentally in order to reduce the burden.
5. Encourage Periodic Short Breaks To Employees
Burnouts are caused mainly by a lack of breaks and rest. HR management can promote the idea of taking more frequent and short breaks during working hours. Also, it can be managed so the employees can be productive but also have breaks.
The focus here is to break the monotony and the mental fatigue, which can be accumulated if employees work long hours. They can also use Pomodoro techniques to add structure to short breaks.
Conclusion
Unclear expectations and excessive and unmanaged workloads create havoc, especially for hybrid working employees.
Constant hassle can create burnout, which impacts not just employees but also the company itself.
This is where proper hybrid work strategies, such as HR software, can track, manage, and schedule the process with automation and all the tools needed for work.
We at HRone are a trusted and reliable platform offering the one-all solution to prevent burnout with its well-planned and structured management. Book your free trial now to get started.