FEELING THE BURN(OUT)
RISKY BUSINESS As the workforce moves back into the office—at least partially— preventing and managing burnout will be crucial. In 2020 alone, 57 percent of federal employees reported feeling burned out; one in three of those attributed the feelings to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey from Eagle Hill Consulting. Time pressures, poor communica- tion and heavy workloads were the biggest sources of burnout.
While employee burnout is a continued risk, it can be prevented or mitigated, and employers can play a big role in that process. Te January article, “In 2022, public employers face hiring chal- lenges, opportunity” from American City & County said that employers—in both the public and private sectors—could help prevent job burnout with initiatives like wellness programs, flexi- ble work-from-home arrangements, employee assistance programs and nontraditional benefits, such as student loan repayment and holistic health programs.
TIME TO STEP AWAY
Many tend to spend too much time at their desks, whether it's working remotely or at the office. Build movement or exercise into your routine. Just move with a regular exercise routine or maybe a 15-minute dance break after that long meeting. (Photos by Getty Images)
Te Army’s own robust Employee Assistance Program has entirely free services, including screenings and assessments, and short- term counseling and referral for problems that may affect job performance or well-being.
CONCLUSION Employees who find themselves experiencing symptoms can do a few things to help stop burnout in its tracks, according to a Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund article. Some things to try are:
In April 2022, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks issued the memorandum, “Army Workplace Guidance for Final Reentry of Civilian Personnel,” reflecting guidance from DOD. Te Army’s guidance is that all civilian employees will be given 30 days advance notice in writing before being asked to return to the office, “absent an urgent or compelling mission need.” It also states that “telework flexibilities should be broadly extended to telework-eligible employees, when practicable and subject to mission requirements.”
But, after a few years, before- and after-work schedules have been drastically adjusted to accommodate certain flexibilities, includ- ing “sleeping in.” Personnel have also adjusted wardrobes (ah, sweatpants), exercise habits and even physical locations, occa- sionally moving to a different area to be nearer to family or other support systems. Launching back into a pre-pandemic work routine for some is going to be difficult, to say the least, perhaps bordering on overwhelming.
• Keep a balanced schedule. Set your work boundaries and main- tain them—no more “extra hours.” Take regular breaks and try to plan your downtime in advance to better protect it.
• Build movement or exercise into your routine. Whether you’re establishing a regular exercise routine or just taking a 15-minute dance break after that long meeting, just move.
• Plan your vacation (or staycation). Not only is it fun to plan all your glorious adventures, or all that time you’ll be relaxing in peace, it also will give you something to look forward to— and it will give coworkers time to prepare for your absence.
• Talk to your supervisor, especially if you’re already feeling burned out, and ask how you can modify your workday to better accommodate your needs.
Prioritizing regular self-care is also critical in both prevention and recovery from burnout, so make sure that you’re doing the things that make you happy as often as you can. And if you’re having
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Army AL&T Magazine
Summer 2022
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