Burnout syndrome is not always about stress due to work overload, but the main component is the lack of motivation of the worker to continue with his activities, said specialists.

Manuel Cubas, president of Career Partners Peru, explained that even a worker could have burnout syndrome even without having work overload. “It could be that the worker with burnout syndrome works long hours or not, but above all his activities no longer represent any stimulus for his growth or he simply does not like it, he does not find pleasure in it,” he stressed.

“Examples of these cases can be seen when you go to a public entity and some of the workers are not interested in helping users. On the other hand, sometimes stress is positive when the worker is motivated,” Cubas added.

Suffering from burnout syndrome not only affects the worker in his or her possibilities for professional growth, but also the companies, as it generates a drop in productivity.

This is why it must be addressed in both areas. On a personal level, “the worker should seek to be promoted after four to five years of being in the same position, otherwise he or she risks losing motivation,” warns Cubas.

If this does not happen, or the job itself does not motivate him or her, the person should look to change jobs, adds the specialist.

And while this is taking place, the worker should look for other activities to relax during their hours or days off. “For example, playing sports or getting a hobby, that allows to balance life while still being in a job that does not motivate,” notes Cubas.

From the employer’s side, policies that prevent the generation of burnout syndrome should also be implemented.

In this regard, Cubas says that in order to stimulate workers in a company it is essential to set goals -attainable ones- in each area, with the corresponding reward for achieving them. Promotions for the best-performing workers should also be promoted, among other policies to improve the work environment.

For his part, Alfredo Alfaro, CEO of First People Consulting, referred that remote work made working hours longer, so when returning to face-to-face work many employers seek to keep those long hours. “With the schedules a door was opened that, in some cases, has not closed,” he stressed.

Among the recommendations to reduce work overload, Alfaro points out that companies should reduce meetings to the minimum necessary and that these should be for a short time, because, otherwise, this will take time away from the work that the worker must perform.

“There are companies that, in order to better manage time, have set a maximum of 15 minutes for meetings. And you should also set well who should participate. Not all meetings are for everyone,” said the specialist.

Another relevant point is to rethink how worker productivity is measured. “Most still relate it as in the industrial era: to the number of hours in the office. But it should not be like that, it should highlight the value of the management of each worker, and sometimes this does not necessarily involve going to the office,” noted Alfaro.