As we already mentioned in the article ‘Burnout: how to detect it and take action’, stress and job satisfaction have become an important factor in recent decades in the work context.
Burnout is among the most difficult problems in the field of safety and health at work, since it significantly affects people and organizations.
In recent years, occupational health experts are warning of another phenomenon that has a negative impact on the well-being of many employees, the “Boreout syndrome ”. This syndrome, coined by Philippe Rothlin and Peter R. Werder in 2007, is the opposite of “burnout,” and is characterized by “chronic boredom.” Burnout and Boreout are opposite ends of a continuum, but they are both equally harmful to the health of workers That is, they are two sides of the same coin.
Although many may think that doing nothing at work is a dream come true, the reality is totally different: the obligation to be at work for hours without knowing what to do is a demoralizing situation. Additionally, Boreout Syndrome can trigger what human resources experts call “workplace presenteeism.”
A study by Dan Malachowski concluded that 33% of respondents believed that their work did not present any challenge and that they spent an average of two hours a day to kill time on social networks The same research stated that 15% of office staff worldwide find their jobs boring. Another survey, this time from the consulting firm TMI, discovered that 80% of staff did not feel involved in their work, they were indifferent to the successes and failures of their organization.
Boreout has 3 characteristics that Philippe Rothlin and Peter R. Werder describe in their book “The New Workplace Boreout Syndrome” published in 2009.
1. Underdemand , with repetitive and monotonous tasks. Perform meaningless tasks. It gives the feeling of being able to perform or not be giving everything that one can give. Feeling of being wasted.
2. Boredom defined as a mood of reluctance, apathy and doubt because the employee does not know what to do during the day.
3. Disinterest due to lack of identification with the job
The causes of Boreout
According to the same authors, this syndrome occurs for several reasons:
Boreout prevention
The Foundation for the Prevention of Occupational Risks and the UGT Psychosocial Risks Observatory They recommend the following points to prevent Boreout in workers:
Conclusions
Although it may seem that the employee suffering from Boreout is simply lazy, in reality it is a failure in human resources policy of the company. Good practices in personnel management are important for the future development of this phenomenon among employees. In this way, a correct selection process will allow the incorporation of a suitable candidate and will have an impact on their future performance. When we talk about a correct selection process, we are talking about a process that takes into account both the needs of the job, the needs of the worker and the needs of the organization.
A good one People Management It entails having the workloads updated based on the type of tasks being performed and taking into account the importance of the leader when it comes to minimizing the impact of the Boreout on the company. It is a guarantee of health in the company to keep motivated worker and be able to influence their activity in a positive way.
