5 Workplace Stressors Causing Employee Burnout in the Tech Sector
Quick look: Tech employees face unique workplace stressors within their industry, which increase their chances of experiencing employee burnout. Here are five such stressors affecting today’s tech experts and how a professional employer organization (PEO) can help counter them by providing access to employee wellness programs, HR guidance, and other resources that promote a healthy and balanced workplace culture.
Workplace stressors regularly impact employers and their teams. In the wake of approximately 180 tech companies undergoing layoffs in the first three weeks of January 2023, tech employees have become more vulnerable to stressors while quickly adapting to internal changes including responsibility shifts and team reorganization. This vulnerability due to high turnover also raises the probability of employee burnout diminishing team productivity and well-being.
Fortunately, small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and tech leaders can protect their employees from stressful situations by familiarizing themselves with the core causes of burnout. Here are five workplace stressors causing burnout in the tech industry, and how partnering with a professional employer organization (PEO) can combat them.
1. Screen time effects on health
Most tech employees would be unable to perform their role without screen-driven devices. Despite the convenience of these tools, the consistent daily usage of screens corrupts employees’ vision with excessive blue light exposure. According to the United Healthcare Services and EyeSafe’s Screen Time 2020 Report, 76% of eye care professionals believe excessive blue light exposure causes sleep disruption, while another 46% claims it reduces productivity.
Though more workers like tech employees have a higher risk of blue light side effects due to on-the-job screen usage, nearly 75% of U.S. adults aren’t enrolled in any vision benefits.
How PEOs help: To counter the negative health effects of excessive screentime, over 77% of employers want insurance or benefit plans covering those impacts. PEOs give SMBs access to competitive, enterprise-level benefits packages that offer comprehensive vision and medical care.
Additionally, PEOs provide benefits planning and administrative assistance to ensure employees are aware of what insurance options they have and how they can properly enroll in the one that best fits their needs.
2. Data security breaches
Digital dangers continue to threaten the tech landscape. Compliance standards such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) work to protect tech companies from the misdistribution and unauthorized collection of data. Still, having the inability to stay ahead of IT compliance standards makes SMBs vulnerable to human errors caused by their ill-informed employees.
Juggling an excessive workload can overwhelm tech employees, causing them to commit such errors including improperly storing data and being less vigilant of external scam communications such as data phishing emails. Such actions heighten the unfortunate risks of data security breaches.
How PEOs help: Risk and compliance services are offered by PEOs to help tech companies understand the high-risk factors affecting their industry and learn which methods keep their business compliant.
When it comes to data, a PEO’s risk experts can educate SMBs on the regulatory requirements of IT-driven mandates, as well as help strategize and administer an action plan featuring best practices on how to upkeep data security in the workplace.
Certain PEOs can also offer vital cybersecurity training and resources to inform your team of everyday data threats.
3. Remote team disconnect
Buffer’s State of Remote Work 2023 report states 71% of companies are permanently allowing some type of remote schedule. The tech industry is actively embracing this trend, with LinkedIn News reporting 41.2% of remote job postings fell under the technology, information, and media industry umbrella.
Though companies are actively supporting their employees’ productivity in a virtual setting, the reality of team disconnect lingers as in-office rapport and feedback are replaced with strictly work-related conversations. SMB tech employees are then susceptible to feeling isolated and unmotivated, which can fault their productivity and positive outlook on their workspace.
How PEOs help: Whether tech companies authorize a fully remote or hybrid workplace, businesses who partner with PEOs can leverage the expertise of HR specialists to help evaluate current workplace models and employee practices.
PEOs are then able to identify relevant HR goals and plot a roadmap to implementing effective HR tactics, including how to improve company culture and which methods can help boost positive, proactive team interactions.
4. Lack of workplace transparency
Transparency doesn’t only apply to customer-business relationships. According to Slack’s Future of Work report, 80% of employees want to know more about how employers make decisions in their organization. When sudden employee departures and layoffs occur, it’s common for tech businesses to prioritize departmental reorganization and recruitment over delivering transparent team updates.
Unfortunately, neglecting to inform employees about vital changes in role expectations and project management workflows cause their productivity, motivation, and confidence to suffer.
How PEOs help: To uphold workplace transparency, PEOs offer HR guidance and support during turnover periods. From solidifying a recruitment strategy to managing an offboarding to-do list, a successful PEO partner takes the time to help tech SMBs craft clear messaging and step-by-step procedures to follow when the need to inform their team on core internal changes arises.
5. Endangered work-life balance
Today’s employee cares deeply about maintaining a healthy work-life balance and expects their employer to feel the same. According to Zippia , 72% of workers believe work-life balance is a top factor in choosing a job.
Still, workload pressures placed on SMB tech employees can increase their probability of working excessive overtime hours in order to complete projects. This prioritization of work over well-being can ultimately increase burnout among teammates, lessen their satisfaction in a role, and impact overall company morale.
How PEOs help: Keeping up with the benefits today’s employees need and prefer is always top of mind for PEOs. In addition to comprehensive health insurance, a PEO partner helps SMB tech businesses uncover which supplemental benefits are catching the attention of their industry’s top talent.
From flexible PTO plans to generous Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), adopting benefits that encourage work-life balance within an organization transforms burnt-out employees into a productive and re-engaged team.
Extinguish employee burnout with a trusted PEO partner
Employee burnout caused by workplace stress is a prominent but preventable challenge. However, knowing which stressors contribute to burnout is only the first step to protecting team mentality. Businesses must implement and professionally manage HR strategies expertly designed to solve the issue.
Partnering with a nationally recognized PEO, like ExtensisHR, enables tech SMBs to receive the proper HR support needed to power their employees’ success. PEOs offer a team of HR specialists with certified expertise, giving businesses the peace of mind of knowing their most sensitive HR challenges are in professional hands.
Ready to combat tech employee burnout with a trusted PEO? Contact ExtensisHR to discover how our standout solutions improve your industry’s unique HR challenges.
