Burn-out on the prowl: looking for real causes and effective remedies

The assumption: a lack of time

In an annual survey, employees in the Department for Education & Training indicated that their work/life balance was becoming increasingly hard to achieve, leading to burn-outs. The main reason, according to the respondents, was a lack of time.

But what exactly was the reason behind this perception of not having enough time? Was it the jobs to be done at work or was family life involved? Or was there some other component at work, a subjective feeling that you can’t capture in terms of working time patterns and other activities?

The research method: from use of time to perception of time

The tasks that h:bits carried out for this survey included designing a time registration system using the MOTUS software platform. The first step was to make a list of 80 work tasks, setting out all of the tasks undertaken by staff.

The design of the survey also included the registration of private activities.  This brought the combination with family life into the spotlight. We then gauged each activity to the perception of time. To give the results proper context, the respondents also completed a questionnaire before and after the registration.

All 281 members of staff took part in the survey. This meant that various job profiles, levels and departments were all represented in it. In practical terms, members of staff were asked to record their working time and personal time in an online diary for a whole week (7 days).

The result: the causes were deeper

The method used to measure time brought a number of surprising results to light:

1. The length of the working week and the way work was organised could not explain the feeling of not having enough time, because the working time:

• was an average of 34 hours per working week, which is the same length of time as the average working Fleming.
• work is usually carried out between 9 and 5.

1. TWEE!! Time lost was caused mainly by inefficient working processes: e-mails, meetings and transport

• More than 8% of all work-related activities involved dealing with and writing e-mails.  Usually, 10-15% of staff members were writing e-mails at any one time, with a peak of  25% at the beginning of the working day.
• Consultation or talking time was more of an obstacle rather than a facilitating factor for working more efficiently. This was because of long, usually internal meetings. In the mornings, from 10 o’clock, at least 25% of staff were in meetings. In the afternoon, that figure was around 20%. More than 1 person in 3 thought that these meetings were (partly) pointless for themselves or their work.
• Travelling time averaging almost 2 hours per employee per day was also a major source of frustration. This whereas staff also carried out work tasks at home ‘well’ to ‘very well’.

More than 1 person in 3 found meetings (partly) pointless for themselves or their work.

1. DRIE!! The perception of time during work and combined with the family could be better.

Female employees reported very high pressure of time. This was related to caring for home-related and domestic matters. Limited time sovereignty also played a part. Men had the same working conditions, but appeared to carry fewer family responsibilities. That brought their perception of time far more into balance.

• Work tasks with a great deal of autonomy deliver sufficient-to-high satisfaction.
• Routine, somewhat instrumental tasks are rated ‘only’ as adequate.

The solution: a co-creative approach and externally focused communication

The staffing policy, along with the staff, needed to outline an improvement process designed to increase the feeling of autonomy. The greatest hindrances for a positive perception of time were e-mail traffic and the meeting culture. A phased implementation plan needed to focus on removing these obstacles. A travel audit would also appear to be of value in which working from home could be part of the solution.

In addition, the policy also needed to take a close look at external communication. The central issue: the workload (work and home) of the working woman in the Education & Training Department. As a result, only if partners redistribute tasks outside the work context will burn-out among employees be nipped in the bud.