Line Managers' Perspectives and Responses when Employees Burn Out.
M Claeys, A Van den Broeck, I Houkes and 1 others
PMID 37402928WHAT IT FOUND
Line managers often miss early burnout signals because the employees appear engaged or are friends.
Managers with personal experience of burnout are more likely to spot signs like emotional outbursts or withdrawal. Without recognizing these cues, managers cannot take preventive action.
Key findings
01Managers frequently failed to notice burnout signals because the affected employees were typically perfectionists with stable personalities, or because the manager was friends with the employee, which masked the symptoms.
02Managers who had experienced burnout themselves or held an accepting attitude towards it were more likely to recognize early signs such as emotional instability, concentration difficulties, and social withdrawal.
03When managers did notice signals, their response varied from passive inaction to active intervention, such as starting a conversation, adjusting work tasks, or advising the employee to see a doctor.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The study only included cases where the employee eventually went on sick leave, so it cannot show which preventive actions actually worked to stop burnout. Participants were recruited through the researchers' networks and social media, which may have selected for managers who are already more open or willing to discuss mental health. The sample was predominantly female and drawn from health care and education sectors, which may not reflect attitudes in other industries. Managers reported on past events, which may be subject to recall bias.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret this paper as evidence that specific managerial interventions prevent burnout. The study only describes what managers did in cases where the employee ultimately went on sick leave, so it cannot determine whether any of the actions taken were effective.