The Must-Read Book on Burnout
The Burnout Epidemic
The Rise of Chronic Stress And How We Can Fix It.
Available at: Amazon.com HBR.org Indigo Canada
In her compelling new book on burnout, Jennifer Moss argues our current wellness strategies are getting it all wrong – self-care won’t cure burnout. Organizations need to rethink their wellness and employee well-being strategies entirely. Leveraging her latest research and evidence-based solutions, this burnout book is designed for leaders and individuals, identifying ways to prevent burnout and create healthier, happier workplaces with high-performing people and teams. This is the must-read book about burnout for people leaders and decision-makers.
We tend to think of burnout as a problem we can solve with self-care: more yoga, better breathing techniques, and more resilience. But the evidence is mounting that applying personal, Band-Aid-type solutions to a rapidly evolving workplace phenomenon isn't enough—it's not even close. If we're going to solve the burnout problem, decision-makers must lead by developing a burnout prevention strategy that moves beyond simple wellness programs and more apps and intentionally targets the six root causes of burnout. Burnout strategies must focus on workplace culture and healthy productivity, prioritizing employee well-being. This is one of the very best books about burnout and is a must-read for leaders. Jennifer has also contributed to other books on burnout for HBR as a part of their compilation series.
Planning an employee event or conference? Learn about Jennifer’s keynote presentations on burnout.
Click for a preview of The Burnout Epidemic in Kindle format.
Jennifer Moss earned the prestigious Thinkers 50 “Radar” designation “Spotlighting Thinkers With The Ideas Most Likely To Shape The Future.”
Her latest burnout book, The Burnout Epidemic, was included on the Best New Management Booklist in 2022 by Thinkers 50, making it one of the Best Books on Burnout available to leaders.
Jennifer Shares Her Expertise Through Burnout Workshops, Keynote Addresses and Book Clubs. Here what people are saying…
“Jennifer tailored her research and findings to us as women in business professions. She highlighted staggering statistics that helped us understand burnout and shared actionable recommendations and opportunities to mitigate burnout. Not only did she tailor her speaking points to what would be most relevant for our group, but she also spoke in a sensitive, approachable and down-to-earth way. We are so appreciative of Jennifer taking the time to speak with us.”
“A Timely and Powerful Guide to an Urgent and Growing Phenomenon”
In this eye-opening, paradigm-shifting, and practical guide, Jennifer Moss lays bare the real causes of burnout and how organizations can stop the chronic stress cycle that an alarming number of workers suffer through. The Burnout Epidemic explains:
What causes burnout—and what organizations can do to prevent it
Why traditional wellness initiatives fall short of preventing burnout
How companies can build better burnout strategies with prevention, not perks
How leaders can measure burnout in their organizations
What can leaders do to develop a healthier culture that's high on resilience and curiosity and naturally reduces employee burnout?
As the pandemic has shown, self-care is important but is not a cure for burnout. Employers need to do more. With fascinating research, new findings from the pandemic, and interviews with business leaders around the globe, The Burnout Epidemic offers readers insightful and actionable advice that will empower them to help themselves—and their employees—feel healthier and happier at work.
Important Questions and Answers About Burnout
What causes burnout? Where does it start, and who can change it?
Historically, burnout has been considered the outcome of weaknesses on the part of the individual. The World Health Organization disagrees and has declared it an outcome of an unhealthy workplace culture and conditions.
Shouldn’t our wellness initiatives be protecting employees from burnout?
Wellness Initiatives provide resources that employees may benefit from. Still, they require the employee to be healthy enough to use them and to invest more time and energy to gain the benefits. Self-care isn’t the answer.
Will Training be enough to make a difference for leaders and our teams?
Training leaders will be critically important. However, we must also make employee health a strategic objective. Making burnout reduction strategic tells leaders and staff that this is important and should be prioritized in our daily and weekly efforts.
How can leaders know whether burnout is a problem in their teams?
Start by measuring an entire organization. Once you understand the causes, correlations, and symptoms, strategies can be deployed to identify predictive and trailing markers of burnout. pre-validated scales are available to help you get started.
How can I create a more resilient workplace culture in my organization?
Resilience can be developed over time. It must be planned carefully and baked into every aspect of design and management. Hiring, training, performance management, and policy design require adjustments.
Have More Questions about Burnout?
What role did the pandemic play in magnifying employee burnout?
The Pandemic was like pouring gas on an already lit fire, but it elevated the conversation and increased organizational awareness of the issues. Burnout and Well-being are strategic imperatives in the post-COVID-19 world of work. See our Research Paper on COVID impacts for detailed statistics and findings.
The Six Root Causes of Burnout in the Book
Burnout is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. Three dimensions characterize burnout:
Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion predict you might be burned out
Increased mental distance from one's job, and or feelings of cynicism related to one's job, combine to create the second category of burnout symptoms
Reduced professional efficacy is the third and sometimes most difficult symptom of burnout to face.
The six root causes From Jennifer’s book on burnout are:
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When employees are overworked, there is a snowball effect wherein poor performance resulting from a high workload causes additional stress for employees, further intensifying their burnout. Employees who report always having too much to do are more than twice as likely as others to experience work-related burnout. This can lead to chronic stress and is highly detrimental to mental health.
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Micromanagement often leads to burnout. Employees will likely feel unfulfilled and burnt out when a role lacks autonomy, novelty, variety, and structured flow. A Swedish study cited in The Burnout Epidemic found that employees with more influence and control over their work reported less depression, fewer absences, and fewer symptoms of almost all negative health indicators.
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Community fosters a sense of belonging. Considering how much time we spend at work, feeling comfortable and supported in that environment is important. Practicing gratitude and sharing appreciation for one another, for example, in thank-you meetings, are ways to build a positive company culture and strong community, resulting in enhanced performance and reduced burnout.
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Employees require incentives to perform at their best. Many roles require employees to go above and beyond, stretching themselves thin at the cost of their mental and physical health. Some fields, such as healthcare or policing, have demanding hours and allow little time for rest. In these types of roles, employee appreciation and adequate compensation are especially crucial to sustain employees’ wellbeing.
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A lack of fairness, or organizational justice, is generally a structural issue. Bias, favouritism, unfair policies, unfair compensation, and poor treatment by managers and/or coworkers all hinder the employee experience and foster a culture of unfairness. Having effective complaint mechanisms in place, promptly responding to all employee inquiries and a corporate strategy around fairness are conducive to a healthy work environment where employees are less likely to burn out.
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Before the 2008 recession, one in five people were overqualified for their role. That figure has since increased to one in four. This is significant because overqualified employees report higher rates of depression, anxiety, and burnout than their appropriately qualified counterparts. Over-qualification and a resultant negative job attitude are bad for morale and performance and often result in burnout. Organizations should hire the right fits for their openings, meaning that the employee’s and company’s goals and expectations are aligned.
4.5 Stars - What Readers Are Saying
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This Book About Burnout is...
Good for understanding how organizations contribute to burnout - but more importantly, how individuals can take some control to manage burnout and ensure it doesn't happen to them! - Amazon Reviews
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How Can I Help My Boss Learn About This Book on Burnout?
The information was helpful and relevant, to the point that I'm trying to figure out how to send a copy to our CEO without potentially offending them. She writes in a conversational tone with such openness that you end the book feeling like you could call her up for a cup of tea and a chat. Thank you, Jennifer, for writing a book that spoke to my needs. - Amazon Reviews
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Must Read Burnout Book For Leaders
If you are a business leader, executive, manager, HR manager, and you know something could 'be better' with your teams and workforce, this is a Must-Read. - Amazon Reviews