Fatigue in the workplace: The productivity killer

Having employees in the workplace who are suffering from fatigue may not seem like an organisation’s issue. However, if fatigue persists it can be a detriment to engagement and productivity.

The impacts of fatigue can range from mild to career-killing. Neal Woolrich, director of HR advisory at Gartner, says the effects can leave employees feeling overwhelmed.

“Constant change or too much work can leave individuals feeling overwhelmed with little time to process priorities or recharge for the next challenge,” explained Mr Woolrich.

“The impact of this can manifest itself in three ways: burnout from work overload leading to a drop in productivity, distrust of co-workers and leaders, and a decline in company engagement. Employees may experience or exhibit one or a combination of these change fatigue behaviours as they are not mutually exclusive.”

Employers must work to reduce these issues if they’re to keep workers happy, engaged, and productive. Spotting fatigue is the first step towards prevention.

To assist, Safe Work Australia listed the signs of fatigue to keep an eye out for:

• Constant yawning or falling asleep at work
• Short-term memory problems and a hard time concentrating
• Finding it hard to join in conversations
• Bad decision-making and judgment
• Reduced hand-eye coordination or slow reflexes
• Changes in behaviour, for example, repeatedly arriving late for work
• Increase in unplanned absence

Stamping out workplace fatigue can be tricky. However, Mr Woolrich provided three suggestions that can help employers ensure their workplace isn’t suffering from these issues:

1. The first is to free up capacity for change when employees are burned out. Employers should focus team time and resources towards the highest priority work. Additionally, organisations should ensure wellbeing resources are being provided and personalised to the employee needs.
   
   
2. The second is to rebuild trust by facilitating open change conversations with employees. Gartner research has shown that intentional discussions can increase psychological safety by 46 per cent. This approach allows employees to talk through their anxieties and feel less alone in the process.
   
   
3. The third action is to reconnect workers with their purpose. Gartner research shows realigning individual goals to the business increases employee performance by 22 per cent. This strategy helps mitigate the apathy, burnout and frustration employees may experience when they perceive change as something they have been excluded from.

Furthermore, trust plays an important role in reducing fatigue: The Gartner Workforce Change Fatigue Survey shows when workers experience fatigue, their trust in their organisation can drop 37 per cent and much of this can be traced back to how change is communicated, said Mr Woolrich.

“Telling employees what to do and how to feel can make them feel isolated. In addition, a high volume of disruptions can make employees feel stressed and exhausted.”

He added: “If leaders fail to be transparent about workplace changes, it can cause turmoil and breed uncertainty, fatigue and apathy. To avoid trust being eroded, communications about change should ensure employees feel supported and heard throughout the process.”