A phenomenon necessarily linked to work
In Japan, “karoshi”, or “death from overwork” of employees literally killing themselves at work, has been recognized as a work accident since the 1970s. In France, burnout, or the syndrome of professional exhaustion, is not, however, recognized as a professional disease and, due to a lack of statistics, its exact extent is not identified. But specialists know it well.
“Burn-out is necessarily linked to work: it is an over-commitment in profession characterized by emotional exhaustion, a loss of self-esteem, and the dehumanization of the relationship with others,” explained Dr. Agnès Martineau-Arbes, during a recent symposium on this syndrome.
For this occupational physician, the English term accurately summarizes the state of a person who “burns out, both physically and morally until total exhaustion, until they have burned all their reserves“. It affects people who are “extremely committed to their work and want to do well”, she specifies.
The symptoms of burn-out
“Exposed to constant stress, the employee can’t switch off, increases the pace (…). He is doing more and more for increasingly worse results. In the end, the employee is convinced that they have become incapable of doing their job,” summarizes Mrs. Martineau-Arbes.
The alarm signals are, in no particular order: sleep disorders, fatigue, loss of memory and concentration, depressive symptom, back problems, ulcers, hypochondria, irritability and anxiety that can escalate to panic. There is often also alcohol abuse, smoking and drug use.
For the initiator of the symposium, Jean-Claude Delgènes, director of the Technologia occupational risk prevention firm, “the demands of professional life are increasingly intense” and put employees “under pressure“.
He references the current professional context which is getting tougher with a “lasting mass unemployment, new work organizations exacerbated by the requirement for profitability, less and less realistic objectives, and a governance that doesn’t respect the human“.
Mr. Delgènes also mentions the new information technologies which “form the soil” of burn-out because “the time of production never stops”.
“Burn-out is a subject that needs to be tackled head-on, there have already been too many tragedies in the company“, warns Sébastien Busiris (FO). He advocates for its recognition as a professional illness, just like his fellow trade unionists (CFDT, CGT, CFE-CGC) present at the conference.
Work abuse is dangerous for health.
Consume in moderation
The syndrome, which previously mainly targeted people whose activity involved significant relational contact such as teachers or medical professions, has affected all professional categories in the last ten years, according to specialists.
For these individuals, occupational doctors and staff representatives should weave a safety net around employees by negotiating prevention agreements and initiating conversations within the company. Screening “is extremely complex, and once diagnosed, treatment is long and hard“, warns Dr. Martineau-Arbes.
“Returning to work can sometimes take years. One does not come out unscathed from a burn-out, it leaves traces and sequels“, concludes the work doctor.
Signs of burnout should not be ignored. It is important to recognize that it is an occupational risk and to immediately address the problem by taking preventive measures such as stress management workshops, regular breaks during work hours, more free time, and encouragement to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
The employees should also learn to set realistic goals and expectations for themselves in order to avoid burnout. It’s also important to maintain open communication with supervisors and colleagues to ensure that any issues or personal conflicts are addressed quickly before they become unmanageable.
Finally, it is essential to regularly take time off to relax and recharge, which can help prevent burnout at work.
While they may seem alarming, these conclusions also refer to another study that claimed “working too much is bad for health “. Ultimately, work is therefore like alcohol: it should be consumed in moderation… or else, change your job.