Washington workers may have a “Type-A” reputation, but the D.C.-area scores surprisingly well for work burnout factor.
Placement firm Robert Half surveyed office workers in major cities across the country and asked them to rank their burnout level on a scale of 1 to 10.
D.C. area workers ranked their burnout level an average of 5.3, below the national average and well below the cities where workers reported the highest burnout level.
One of the reasons Washington-area professionals are avoiding burnout may be because of the types of employers that dominate the region.
“Most nonprofits and government contractors allow more flexible schedules than other companies. And they’re more likely to offer remote working options as well,” Trey Barnette, at Robert Half in D.C., told WTOP.
Robert Half’s survey did find a few things that are most likely to cause office burnout for Washington-area professionals.
“Number one is the commute. You come into the office already not feeling well or negative,” Barnette said.
“Number two is just constant interruptions or fires and not having a consistent and stable schedule. And lastly, just no growth within a company, no upward mobility.”
Effective ways to avoid office burnout include having passionate interests outside of the job and good communication with co-workers and supervisors.
The boss is also responsible for limiting employee burnout.
Robert Half says it’s key for supervisors to pay attention to employee attitudes, to have consistent meetings with employees, be willing to be flexible on deadlines and to encourage employees to take time off.
