More and more French employees are bored at work: this is the result of the latest studies carried out on the subject. While boredom does not seem to be a major danger for businesses, it is still a fact to watch out for: if it is too pronounced, it can lead to a loss of productivity and suffering for the employee concerned. In this article, discover the extent of the phenomenon in France, the main causes and the ways to effectively prevent risks in business to avoid bore-out and brown-out.
Three quarters of French people are bored at work
In March 2023, 76% of French people felt that they had a boring job: this is revealed by a investigation led by Qapa. This is 13% more than in 2019. 56% even think that their work is uninteresting.
This survey highlights the fact that many people do not feel in line with the position they occupy. 95% of employees who are bored at work experience it badly or very badly, so this situation affects their morale. 56% would be ready to reduce their salary to avoid being bored.
Note: being teleworking does not reduce the feeling of boredom or uselessness among the employees concerned. 47% even say that it is more important than in person.
From boredom to bore-out: there is only one step
If it is so important to seriously consider employee boredom, it is because it can lead to bore-out, a syndrome of professional exhaustion. If we start to know burn-out, caused by too much work and a high level of stress, burn-out is less democratized.
Bore-out takes its name from the English word “bore” which means “boredom.” It is also a form of exhaustion linked to the world of work. It is the result of chronic boredom, lack of stimulation, and underworkload. The mismatch between the values of the employee and those of the company can also have a negative impact on the psychological state of the person.
Brown-out is another form of burnout that should be looked out for. It results from a loss of meaning at work.
All these syndromes can lead to physical and psychological dysfunctions, such as excessive fatigue, sleep disorders, appetite loss and other various pains (back, neck, etc.)
The main causes of boredom at work
Low workload and lack of interest are the first factors that cause boredom for employees.
In addition, growing businesses tend to divide tasks between employees and make them more and more basic. Growth can also lead managers to entrust employees with missions that are beyond their field of expertise, or to limit their decision-making. This can cause a decrease in recognition, a feeling of undervaluation, and a lack of interest.
In recent years, employees have also tended to value the meaning of their work in relation to their salary or social position. This change in vision of the place of work in life can lead to more dissatisfaction than was previously possible.
Prevent the boredom and the bore-out of its employees
It is essential for businesses to prevent bore-out among employees. Here are some tips for them to keep Motivation on a daily basis.
Encourage listening and communication
Pay attention to the expectations of your employees: have a relationship based on trust and try to understand the needs and desires of each one. It is essential to establish regular exchange times in order to take stock of the current situation and to be able to act quickly in the event of major problems.
Encourage initiative and creativity
To avoid boredom, there is nothing better than not establishing a routine! Promote Taking the initiative on the part of your employees, by valuing innovation and by accepting failures with kindness. Crowdfunding platforms such as Teamstarter are a very powerful tool for engaging employees in proposing innovative projects and completing them. It's a great way for them to choose which stocks they want to invest in.
Give more responsibilities and autonomy
Empowering your employees is a good technique to value them and show them that you have complete confidence in them and their skills. The establishment of a Management bottom-up can be very interesting for everyone to be fully involved in company decisions. It's a great way to stimulate employees and avoid bore-out.
To be fair
Finally, even if it seems obvious, it is absolutely essential to treat all employees the same way. If one person is in charge of a project that is more interesting than another at a certain point in time, remember to reverse that during the next distribution.
It is also important to give due recognition to everyone and to value everyone's contribution in collective work. This shows the value of the tasks carried out by each person in the final result.
React well in case of boredom on the part of an employee
If an employee tells you about his boredom or if you realize that his low level of commitment and motivation is linked to a lack of interest, it is essential to react quickly.
First, take the time to discuss in depth with him in order to better understand what is bothering him and what he expects in the future. Then, whenever possible, try to assign him missions that are more challenging or that are more interesting to him. It is also possible to move him to another position, possibly with training if necessary.
Boredom at work can have very negative consequences on the mental and physical health of your employees. It can in fact lead to professional exhaustion, which is called bore-out. To avoid this, it is important for employers and managers to be aware of the subject. Various measures can be implemented within your teams to avoid boredom: promoting initiative, offering more responsibilities and more motivating challenges, listening carefully to everyone's needs, etc. By implementing all these things, it is possible to create a work environment that is both stimulating and productive for your employees.
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