Question

Discuss job stress and burnout prevention. Discuss the role of the leader, as well as effective coping techniques.

Answer 1

Job stress and subsequent burnout in the employees are commonly observed in the organization and it is the responsibility of the HR function and managers working together to ensure that employees are preserved and programs to prevent the cases of job stress and burnout are in place. These prevention programs help maintaining the employee productivity,  and keep motivating them without getting excessively stressed and lose motivation at work. It is the matter of strategic importance for successful organizations that they have stress management and burnout prevention programs in place and they ensure that employees work in a way that suits them while meeting organizational goals.

In this perspective, the role of the leader is very important, because leader does not only motivates for best performance, but also leader mentors the employees and keep a vigilant vision to assess the conditions of the employee. A good leader always should know as when to give a break from work so that employees can recoup themselves and come to work again. Besides, leaders have a role to prevent the problem of understaffing and proper allocation of work as well. Hence, it is the leadership that plays important role in these prevention programs.

Effective coping techniques to manage the job stress and prevent burnout are as follows:

1. Implement stress management program with proper time management to prevent a last minute rush

2.  Make informal groups of the employees with forums where employees can share the issues and get effective solutions

3. Make proper HR planning and prevent understaffing so that job stress is regulated and burnout is prevented.

4. Letting employees work in their own preferred time slot or flexitiming and or work from home in certain conditions.

5. Recreation programs and facilities  to break the job boredom and help employees recover from the job stress