The first question asked in relation to burnout is what actually is to be prevented?
Ever higher workloads because the managing board has to fulfil the fantasy expectations of the shareholders? You want to prevent sociopaths and psychopaths from doing their work? Because it’s the way you need to be in order to sell your soul for the job.
Please have for once some balls and face the problem square, competition and job instability are the law in virtually any company, but the finance branch are really deep into it. In the finance industry and in big companies, the risk for shareholders has been minimized due to the policy of laying off staff in order to meet the crazy expectations held by shareholders.
Investment has become so safe at the expense of those who really need the guarantees. I learned that in business the one who takes the risks, takes the profits and the losses. That is fair and ethical, but today, the majority of the risk has been shifted onto the staff.
The requirements for all jobs, even grunt jobs, are so ridiculously high that they even complain about not being able to fill the vacancies. I mean, specializing for 5 years is a risk, no? It’s an income not earned. But the only thing that the management has in mind is to cut costs, especially in operations and customer services departments, but IT is not better off.
As pay is a matter of diplomas and other assets, so often the offered pay for the required qualifications is hardly attractive. I mean seriously, who is being attracted by a receptionist vacancy where you need to have a masters degree? The only motivation that gets candidates there is desperation.
There is already a great deal of frustration and stress right from the start before we even move on to mobbing or back stabbing.
So, if the government wants to really do something about burnouts, it will have to go and review the employment practices in detail, which are in fashion nowadays. Set boundaries for reasonable qualification requests, enforce on the job training again, review in detail the loss prevention strategies used by companies, as well as their profit sharing schemes.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg that needs to be tackled.
