Back on NZ shores, in January Stuff reported on a former Noel Leeming employee being paid almost $50k after he left his job due to intense stress and burnout. The scale of the payout for hurt, loss and humiliation is at the top end of these sorts of payments and the employer in this case didn’t do enough, soon enough concerning the employee’s situation. There is a requirement for employers to be proactive in dealing with employee health and safety (including wellbeing) matters that they become aware of. In the case the Authority found that a fair and reasonable employer would have taken more formal and proactive steps to help.
In the farming sector, we know we are seeing more burnout than usual and the recent article in the Farmers Weekly provides some further insights Calls for help soar at Rural Support Trust. The rural support trust has seen a 53% increase in call volumes in the last year as the pressure on farmers and their wellbeing mounts. At No8HR we see first-hand the early signs of burn out. Things like like sudden changes in mood, reduced energy, lack of time off or increased sick days are all signs that a team member might be under stress.
There are a number of ways to proactively manage burnout in your business and we know how important it is to have a happy and healthy workforce. The team at No8HR is available to work through any concerns you might have about an employee, team member or are keen to put a proactive plan in place.