When work is no longer enjoyable. About professional burnout among civil servants

A stressful work environment, high demands, or lack of autonomy are just some of the factors that lead to burnout. One group vulnerable to this phenomenon is civil servants. We discuss what to do to help them in such a situation with Dr. Maria Sidoruk-Grymuza – owner of a psychological practice and lecturer at SWPS University in Warsaw.

PAP Local Government Service: There has been a lot of talk recently about professional burnout. What is it?

Dr. Maria Sidoruk-Grymuza: Professional burnout is an unwillingness and powerlessness to do work that we previously enjoyed and were important to us. But not only that. Very often it is a lack of a sense of independence. And this is where we will enter the environment of civil servants, who have to work according to often obscure regulations and strict rules. This causes them to experience more stress and they may feel a lack of meaning in the tasks they perform.

Occupational burnout also affects people who work in a particular place or profession for a long time and at some point feel the need to change. This happens especially when they see that they have no opportunity for advancement, unable to learn anything new.

That is, it may also apply to officials….

The fact is that the offices are pulling in very skilled workers. Candidates go through several stages of recruitment based on knowledge tests, then quite stressful interviews with senior management. This is really a big selection. These are candidates with higher education who are later paid quite poorly. This is frustrating because there is still a very long path to promotion in the offices. As we observe the dynamic corporate market, this is a huge gap.

Prior to my interview with you, I posed a question to a dozen offices in Poland about what professional development opportunities exist for officials and whether they are provided with psychological support. Most did not have a psychologist on staff. However, some of them offer various training courses on, for example, stress management techniques.

Such training is certainly a support as we think about prevention. They are a good solution, but they are often no substitute for talking to a psychologist. It is important to remember that professional burnout can affect anyone. However, much can be done within the structures of the office to counteract it. It is worthwhile, for example, to open up to internal recruitment processes that will give you a chance to prove yourself in another area and learn new skills.

Often you may encounter the belief that you don’t talk about problems at work. However, constant stress and heavy responsibility can cause officials to become very tired.

Yes, especially in the older generation of civil servants in terms of age and seniority, there may still be a lingering belief that feelings of job dissatisfaction are better kept to oneself. And it is the most experienced people who often struggle with professional burnout, especially when, in addition to stress, routine and increasing demands, there is a reflection that maybe something has gone wrong with their career, and there is less and less time for change….

Young civil servants, on the other hand, may struggle to find their way into a position. After all, today’s world offers them many other opportunities.

Sure it is. This is very individual. And the more options we have, the harder it is to be unequivocally convinced that we have chosen our future career path well.

Can the level of burnout vary depending on the position held?

I can think of some professional areas, such as those related to debt collection, servicing very demanding clients or managing large teams, where the work is very mentally taxing Bosses often find it difficult to admit that they are experiencing symptoms of burnout and find it hard to mobilize themselves to go to work, let alone talk about motivating a team or measuring themselves against dissatisfied employees. This is all the more difficult because they are better paid and have more influence over many things in the organization. However, the level of burnout is very dependent on the individual, and I won’t say that a department director can be more burned out than an inspector, because one party and the other can experience it just as strongly. On the other hand, working in certain professional areas will certainly predispose us more to it.

What are the most common signs of burnout?

Certainly a sense of emotional exhaustion. Lack of strength, energy, fatigue and the feeling that work that was enjoyable suddenly causes resentment. There is often a big drop in motivation and commitment to work. People who have been successful are losing their energy for action. It is harder for them to remember something or learn new things. Often a symptom of burnout is a decrease in self-confidence, self-esteem is lowered. There may be difficulties in establishing and maintaining relationships with others. An increased risk of disease appears, which significantly affects our health.

What might be the effects of burnout on an official’s career?

When commitment and motivation drop, people don’t take on challenges. At some point, there are also somatic problems, long-term sick leave, which can even lead to termination of employment. It is more difficult to fight for this career when we feel that a particular area of work does not suit us.

What should officials struggling with burnout do?

People often fail to recognize the moment they cross a certain line. On the other hand, whenever we see that something is wrong, it is a warning sign. When we are no longer satisfied with what we are doing, we do not develop, we begin to feel that we do not want to get up to work…. Of course, various strategies can be used to give vent to emotions. However, when these thoughts abound, it is worth opening up to the help of a specialist. It would be good if employers also provided such support. More and more companies are thinking about taking care of their employees’ health. Layoffs due to burnout are a major cost for employers, and often avoidable. On the other hand, it takes a lot of openness, listening to people and their needs.

That is, despite one’s own willingness to act, the emotional support of another person, such as a superior, is also important. I think relatives also play a big role.

Work-life balance is very important to function well. When work is a whole life for a civil servant, he experiences crises much more than others. He will experience difficult situations more strongly than someone who has a network of social contacts, a well-ordered private life, and work is only a certain complement to his life. So keeping an eye on a healthy balance is extremely important.

Source: https://samorzad.pap.pl/kategoria/aktualnosci/gdy-praca-przestaje-cieszyc-o-wypaleniu-zawodowym-wsrod-urzednikow