Brown-out, Burn-out, Bore-out: What Are These Work-related Syndromes?
A few years ago, we talked more about "pleasure" and "suffering at work," followed by "MSDs" (musculoskeletal disorders). Many companies then addressed the issue by recruiting Chief Happiness Officers, but this position gradually disappeared. Nowadays, we talk about brown-out, burn-out, and bore-out. These work-related discomforts are thus an evolving concept that encompasses many aspects. To fully understand and identify the warning factors, it is therefore important to know the difference between these three psychosocial risks.
Burn-out is a syndrome of professional exhaustion: it was defined in 1988 as a "state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion related to prolonged exposure to situations demanding significant emotional involvement."1
Bore-out refers to a state of boredom. It is characterized in these terms : "Syndrome of professional exhaustion due to boredom caused by a lack of work or the absence of interesting tasks to perform, resulting in demotivation, self-devaluation, and intense physical and psychological fatigue."
Finally, brown-out is determined by a lack of motivation due to a feeling that the tasks performed at work are meaningless. According to a study conducted by Corporate Balance Concepts, among 1,000 American executives surveyed, 40% of them suffer from brown-out.
How to detect warning signs and respond to them
As the definitions mentioned highlight, the three symptoms have different causes: work overload, lack of recognition, boredom, lack of meaning. To provide an appropriate response, you need to identify the root cause of the problem. How? Signals can alert you, whether verbal or non-verbal, collective or individual, including:
- A lack of motivation, loss of energy, difficulty concentrating
- Eating or sleep disorders, diffuse pains
- Loss of self-esteem, confidence, detachment
- Disproportionate working hours or, conversely, insufficient working hours
- Or even the occurrence of work accidents.
This list is not exhaustive, and the manifestations of these issues can be numerous. As a manager, be particularly attentive to detect any potential signs that could indicate a professional exhaustion syndrome. If in doubt, don't wait: organize an informal meeting, preferably in person, with the concerned individual to share your concerns and, most importantly, initiate a dialogue.
In terms of prevention, the focus is on the following elements:
- Informing and training workers
- Monitoring each person's workload
- Ensuring solid social support
- Providing room for maneuver
- Ensuring fair recognition of work
- Discussing work quality criteria.
If you or someone on your team needs help, you can make use of support mechanisms within the company, reach out to the company nurse, or contact the human resources team.
Need to focus on supporting and managing your teams? Get in touch with our teams!
1 Pines and Aronson, 1988.
