Business View Magazine | September 2022

17 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 9 OPENING L INES burnout support. What is burnout and quiet quitting, and how do we combat it? Burnout is defined by the World Health Organization as an ‘occupational phenomenon’ resulting from chronic workplace stress. It is characterized by three dimensions: feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and reduced professional efficacy. To deal with burnout, millions of American employees are taking to the quiet quitting trend: sticking to the bare minimum requirements of their job description and rejecting the notion of going above and beyond at work. Jonny Edser, Director at Wildgoose, says: “The rise of employee burnout in the USA is cause for alarm. And what’s noticeable is that it’s in the cities where people seem to be suffering most. “While it’s positive the conversation is being had by the younger generations starting their career, it’s important that companies create the working environment where issues can be raised in a constructive manner to improve employee wellbeing. “Whatever the cause, it’s clear that companies can’t afford to ignore rising cases of burnout. As well as addressing root causes such as longer working hours, they should take action to actively raise morale. We’ve found that team