Boreout: consequences and how to avoid it
The syndromes of boreout (boredom) and burnout (exhaustion) are part of the list of negative effects that poor management has.
For years these syndromes have been silenced or attributed only to the skills of the worker. As management studies progress, both organizations and employees are more aware of the importance of taking care of their relationships. In no case should the worker suffer from these syndromes without giving the corresponding importance and finding a joint solution.
What is the boreout syndrome?
Also known as work boredom syndrome, boreout is the term that defines when an employee suffers from a state of chronic boredom, mainly due to the monotony of their tasks or the low demands that their position requires, having a negative effect on the worker’s mental health.
This term was introduced in 2007 by Philippe Rothlin and Peter R. Werder. They defined it as “feeling the obligation to be in the workplace for hours without knowing what to do”.
The boreout syndrome in most cases ends up having an impact on the mental health of the worker. This is followed by demotivation which implies a decrease in productivity and predisposition. According to a study by Dan Malachowski, 33% of the workers surveyed can spend 2 hours of their working day procrastinating.
What are the causes of Boreout?
There are many causes that can lead an employee to suffer from boreout syndrome. However, it is important to bear in mind that these causes are the responsibility of all implied agents: the worker, the supervisor and the organization.
Here are some of the factors that can cause a boreout:
- Lack of tasks or responsibilities
- Monotony in tasks
- Overqualification by the worker
- Lack of supervision
- Lack of planning
- Little interaction with co-workers
- Poor coordination of the work team
- Impossibility of growing in the company
- Lack of challenge or stimulation
- Lack of learning
In recent years, HR professionals have noticed an increase in cases of boreout due to teleworking. Digitalization and remote work have provided many benefits to both companies and workers. However, for some professionals it has also been difficult for teamwork and social isolation.
What are the consequences of Boreout?
Philippe Rothlin and Peter R. Werder (introducers of the term boreout), define the following 3 main consequences of boreout in the book «The new Boreout labor syndrome»:
- Boredom: not knowing what to do at work or the monotony of tasks generates a feeling of apathy towards work.
- Underestimation: the lack of challenges or overqualification generates a feeling of not being productive. Therefore, it generates a negative and frustrating feeling.
- Disinterest: all the factors mentioned above generate a lack of motivation that ends up triggering a lack of identification with the workplace.
How to avoid or solve a boreout?
As we have already mentioned, applying measures to try to avoid or solve a boreout is the responsibility of both the worker and the organization.
The first thing we can do to avoid this situation is to prevent it. From inlea we recommend that the company should have a good benefits plan and a good employer branding strategy. Therefore, developing these two points will allow the company to take into consideration at all times the effectiveness of the organization, the company’s work environment, external factors that can motivate workers, etc. In short, developing a more personal relationship with the worker.
If boreout unfortunately cannot be prevented, the second step is to identify it. A supervisor can identify this situation in the behavior of his worker as well as the worker can identify it itself and ask for help to his employer. Both must then find a solution that is satisfactory for both parties.
Although each case must be studied individually, some of the measures that companies can apply to avoid or solve a boreout are the following:
- Development of an organizational culture
- Analysis and leadership education
- Modification of the internal tasks process
- Improve internal communication
- Work in group
- Clearly define the responsibilities and roles of each worker
- Facilitate flexibility and autonomy at work
- Develop or improve a worker benefits plan
- Hold regular meetings between the worker and the organization
- Assign specific tasks and projects
- Improve and be transparent with internal promotion processes
In short, it is very important that organizations allocate resources to prevent syndromes such as boreout or burnout from.
Apart from the fact that these are syndromes that affect the worker’s mental health and therefore their relatives, these syndromes can easily spread among workers. Seeing a colleague or supervisor demotivated or bored with their work is demoralizing and can be another cause that, along with others, leads to boreout.
