The Role Of Employee Scheduling Software In Preventing Burnout

A staggering 77% of full-time workers say they’ve experienced burnout in their current jobs, according to a Deloitte survey of 1,000 employees. Over half of these individuals say they’ve been burnt out more than once. You’ve likely seen the signs in your business: reduced productivity, a lack of enthusiasm, and an uptick in callouts.

Employee burnout is bad for your team and your business. The good news? There’s a solution that can help. When I Work is designed to streamline your scheduling process and improve work-life balance. Learn how better scheduling can help your team and company thrive. 

Key takeaways

Here are the key things you need to know about using employee scheduling software to prevent burnout:

• Burnout is a state of emotional and mental exhaustion that impacts morale
• Scheduling issues like frequent overtime and unpredictable shifts contribute to burnout
• Unresolved burnout will increase turnover and damage workplace culture
• Employee scheduling software offers features like automation to prevent unnecessary stress on your team
• Tools like When I Work are great for balancing team needs and the demands of the business

Table of contents

• What is employee burnout?
• How scheduling issues can lead to burnout
• Business consequences of having burnt-out staff
• Why you should invest in staff scheduling software to prevent employee burnout
• How When I Work can help you address burnout in the workplace

What is employee burnout?

Employee burnout is a syndrome resulting from poorly managed workplace stress. It’s more than just fatigue or tiredness. The three main aspects of true burnout include:

• Reduced professional efficacy
• Feelings of cynicism or negativity toward one’s job
• Feelings of exhaustion or energy depletion

Burnout tends to be more common in sectors like hospitality, healthcare, and retail. However, any workplace with poor scheduling practices can unintentionally push employees toward this breaking point. 

Common causes of burnout

Burnout doesn’t pop up after a single bad shift or tough weekend, although these incidents can be the final straw for some employees. Burnout typically develops over weeks or months. Here are a few common causes:

• Excessive work hours: If employees consistently work overtime, they don’t have a chance to rest and recharge 
• Unpredictable shifts: Erratic schedules make it tough for workers to establish routines 
• Lack of flexibility: Ignoring employee scheduling preferences creates frustration 
• Coverage gaps: Understaffed shifts place an extra burden on those who show up for work, leading to stress and exhaustion

Don’t worry. You aren’t going to burn your team out if you have to schedule them for overtime now and then or work shorthanded due to a surprise callout. However, if these issues become patterns, your team will begin to feel the effects. 

Spotting staff burnout as a manager 

The sooner you recognize burnout in your staff, the more time you’ll have to address it. Here are some warning signs that may indicate your team is feeling the pressure:

• Decreased productivity: If someone’s output drops suddenly, it may be due to exhaustion or disengagement 
• Emotional disconnect: Burnt-out employees may withdraw from the team or be easily frustrated 
• Frequent absences: Higher rates of sick days or late arrivals could signal a deeper issue

You can often link burnout issues with scheduling deficiencies. The stress builds if employees always cover extra shifts or can’t rely on a consistent routine. 

How scheduling issues can lead to burnout

Poor scheduling practices can cause or worsen feelings of burnout. Here are four examples of how scheduling issues can leave your team feeling exhausted and disconnected. 

Coverage gaps make shifts harder for present staff

Suppose that your average shift consists of ten people. If a shift is missing two people, there’s not 20% less work. Instead, everyone who shows up has to pick up the slack. 

For example, a restaurant server may have to cover twice the usual number of tables. Other team members will have to step in and help shoulder the burden. If this becomes a frequent issue, people will start feeling burnt out. 

Unpredictable shift patterns prevent employees from having a routine

Irregular schedules wreak havoc on an employee’s ability to plan their life. Imagine working the night shift one day and coming in for an opening shift the next. These types of scheduling conflicts are draining on employees. 

Even if you use rotating schedules or have fluctuating business hours, it’s important to be as predictable as possible with your scheduling. If people know when they work, they will be able to fit sleep and personal obligations into their routine. 

Frequent overtime or night shifts lead to exhaustion

Occasional overtime is manageable. Some of your employees may even enjoy the chance to earn some extra cash. However, constantly working extra hours wears employees down. 

Night shifts can be especially taxing, as they disrupt natural sleep patterns. This exhaustion can lead to decreased performance. 

Not meeting the scheduling needs of staff creates burnout 

Ignoring employee preferences—like time-off requests or availability—can create resentment. You should adapt to the preferences and needs of staff members whenever practical. If someone makes a reasonable time off request, do your best to honor it. If someone prefers morning shifts instead of night shifts (or vice versa), consider their needs when building your schedule. 

Business consequences of having burnt-out staff

Burnout will negatively impact your business, too. Here are the consequences of having a burnt-out staff: 

Increased labor costs

Burnout leads to absenteeism, meaning you’ll have to pay people to work overtime. All of those extra hours will strain your labor budget. 

High turnover

Burned-out employees are more likely to quit. Frequent turnover will hurt team chemistry and morale. It will also drive up your hiring and recruiting costs. 

Reduced productivity and profitability

When employees are too tired or disengaged, their performance suffers. Lower productivity means missed opportunities and reduced profits. Disconnected team members may also deliver subpar customer experiences, which can cause once-loyal patrons to give up on your business. 

Unpleasant work culture 

Burnout spreads negativity. Frustrated employees can demoralize the rest of the team, creating a toxic environment that’s hard to bounce back from. 

Why you should invest in staff scheduling software to prevent employee burnout

Employee scheduling software can help you prevent burnout by: 

Enforcing scheduling rules

Employee scheduling platforms like When I Work allow you to create custom scheduling rules. For example, you can set minimum hours between shifts to prevent clopening shifts. You can also limit how many days a week maximum someone should be scheduled to work. 

When your scheduling rules are built into the software, you can prevent oversights on the part of managers. The system will alert them to the violation so they can adjust the schedule. 

Visualizing employee availability

Employee scheduling software makes it easy to track who is available and when. 

Suppose that one of your team members has a night class every Wednesday. You can mark them as unavailable for Wednesday evening shifts. When I Work will show them as unavailable, which means they won’t accidentally get assigned a shift they can’t work. Team members can even go into our app and let managers know their preferences. 

Improving awareness of employee availability helps promote a positive work-life balance. Your team members will appreciate that you are honoring their scheduling preferences and accommodating their personal needs. 

Streamlining swaps and drops

When I Work simplifies shift swapping. This feature empowers your team members to take ownership of their schedules. They can send a message within the app, asking someone to take a shift they can’t work. On the flip side, those looking to work some extra hours can volunteer to take shifts that are up for grabs.

The entire process occurs according to the rules and employee roles that you set up. Suppose that two of your baristas want to swap shifts. One of them is scheduled for a Tuesday evening, and the other is scheduled to work on Thursday morning. Since they both hold the same role, they can switch shifts without manual intervention.  

Simplifying time-off tracking

Burnout costs U.S. businesses approximately $1 trillion annually in productivity losses. Offering your employees time off can help prevent burnout and maximize productivity. 

When I Work makes tracking time off easier than ever. You can configure custom time-off options (paid and unpaid) in your platform. Managers will see the request and can approve or deny each request. 

Lightening the load on schedulers 

Management staff and schedulers aren’t immune to burnout. They will get worn down if they spend countless hours planning shifts and accounting for callouts.

Employee scheduling software like When I Work gives schedulers time back in their day and eliminates hours of frustration. The platform lets you copy shifts, build custom templates, and share changes via our mobile app. 

How When I Work can help you address burnout in the workplace 

When I Work is loaded with great features that will bring some much-needed consistency to the workplace. Our automatic scheduling tool promotes predictability and saves you countless hours every week. If you do need to make a last-minute change, you can notify affected parties with our built-in secure messaging feature. 

Want to make sure your team members are showing up on time? Use the When I Work time clock to track hours, avoid excessive overtime, and keep everyone accountable. 

Try When I Work free to schedule your staff with ease

Employee burnout is a serious issue, but you can help prevent it with tools like When I Work. Ready to transform your scheduling process? Sign up for a free trial and stop employee burnout in its tracks.