Healthy Engagement At Work

Work commitment means a motivated, positive state of fulfillment. This commitment is characterized by the fact that someone dedicates himself to a work task full of vitality and dedication and is absorbed in it.

Employers are obliged to ensure the safety and health protection of their employees (duty of care).

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Promote commitment to work
Prevent burnout
Address burnout

Promote commitment to work

The following factors, among others, can have a positive effect on work commitment:

Recognition by superiors
Deployment according to the possibilities of the employees
Right to have a say and freedom of decision
Positive working environment
Opportunity to develop your own skills
Good management strategy from superiors (interest in employees, upholding values, etc.)
Fair wage classification
Interesting activity

Pressure to perform in the workplace, time and competitive pressure, too few staff, insufficient support from colleagues and superiors, unrealistic performance demands and much more can contribute to the development of burnout.

Prevent burnout

Burnout is a gradual process. So that it doesn't get that far, it is important to take care of yourself and recognize early warning signs. The company can play a decisive role in this - and perform important preventive work through corporate health care and promotion. A human leadership style and taking changes in the behavior of employees seriously are essential.

For more information, see What is Burnout? and under phases and symptoms.

There is no general recipe for preventing burnout. However, factors such as the right to have a say, positive work environment, etc. (see work commitment) can help prevent burnout. Other positive and preventive influencing factors at work include:

Good working and working atmosphere, good cooperation with colleagues
Appropriate career development
Appropriate workload and responsibility
Superiors who are perceived as supportive
Clearly delimited work areas - clear tasks
Clear feedback
Activities that are perceived as meaningful
Supervision offers (especially for jobs with high social and emotional demands and great responsibility)
Stress and competence training, management training, coaching, etc.

Address burnout

Burnout can be intercepted through certain steps taken by employers and managers. These measures are also helpful for those affected:

Address burnout and inform managers and employees about burnout.
Offer discussions (e.g. employee interviews).
Obtain medical / psychological advice and offer support to those affected, e.g. from occupational physicians and occupational psychologists - according to the Employee Protection Act, these can be called upon for advice in the event of psychosocial stress. The medical or psychological experts consulted have a duty of confidentiality towards third parties.
Obtain support from the works council. The works council can be an ideal interface between superiors and employees.
Counteract stigmatization: no exclusion of those affected, but professional handling of the topic.
Question situations, structures, organizational processes, etc., propose and implement measures to improve working conditions and thus create relief (e.g. check workload, introduce socially acceptable and family-friendly working hours) and much more.
Expand workplace health promotion.

Note Employers are obliged to ensure the safety and health protection of employees in relation to all aspects of work. They have to determine the causes of work-related psychological stress (e.g. the difficulty of the work task, time pressure), to assess them and to take measures to improve the psychosocial working environment.

You can find more information on workplace health promotion