How CIOs Should Manage Staff Stress and Burnout- Valutrics

A majority of employees said they have reached the point of job burnout, with a significant number experiencing high or extremely high stress levels at work, according to a recent survey from CareerBuilder. The situation is leading to troubling levels of job dissatisfaction, and most companies aren’t providing a formal program to help staffers cope with the pressures. Another worrisome finding: Many professionals are not taking vacations. And, if they are, they feel obligated to stay connected to the office while away. To ensure that their employees get the break time needed to recharge their batteries, CIOs and other managers should strongly encourage their teams to take all of their earned time off—and to detach while doing so. And they’d make a significant impact here if they led by example. “If you’re a boss, it’s important that you role-model how to take a vacation,” said Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer at CareerBuilder. “If you’re prone to answering every email and phone call that comes through on your own vacation time, consider the example you’re setting for your team members. You need to set up an automated response email, and only respond to absolutely urgent emails while you’re away. Direct all calls to an assistant or colleague at the office. Show your employees that vacation time matters to you and to your company and its culture.” More than 3,200 U.S. employees took part in the research.