Put On Your Oxygen Mask First: Identifying and Preventing HR Burnout

HR professionals do not have the world’s easiest job. Most HR generalists are part benefit advocates, part lawyers, part therapists, part (zoom) party planners, and part rule enforcers. Now throw in a pandemic, and you have a recipe for a very tired and depleted superhero.

As caretakers of others, our burnout can look more like compassion fatigue. This term is often used in healthcare or industries helping animals or people with traumatic events. Compassion fatigue is a feeling of suffering, sorrow, or empathy to the point of exhaustion, associated with a deep desire to alleviate the pain and suffering of another person.

Burn out or compassion fatigue might also look like:

• Work Behavior: Tardiness, absenteeism, lack of concentration, lack of creativity
  
  
• Social Behavior: Impersonal or numb communication, use of sarcasm, disengaged or withdrawal from others
  
  
• Emotional Behavior: Anger, irritability, negativity about everyday tasks, apathy, feeling overwhelmed
  
  
• Physical Behavior: Headaches or migraines, stomach or intestinal issues, aches, difficulty sleeping, depression

If you are suffering from burnout, remember that the benefits you offer to your employees are also available to you. Some of the tools typically available include:

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): EAPs are a one-stop call for everything from counselors to childcare and lawyers. Don’t spend hours searching for options; let someone help you.
  
  
• Mental Health Counseling: Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, most health plans must offer mental health coverage. Talking to a professional may be more affordable than you think.
  
  
• PTO: Don’t forget to take time off. The option may not be available to take a trip to Maui, but giving yourself some breathing space to step away from daily responsibilities can provide a necessary reset.
  
  
• Protected leave: Many situations can qualify for coverage under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), or Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave (WPFML).