We’re talking about burnout
June 4, 2024
For a few years now, we’ve offered a free virtual Mental Health Summit in January — right as many CPAs are getting into tax season. It seems the working world is having a reckoning of sorts with mental health issues, including burnout, exhaustion and stress.
Whether this conversation was ushered in by the blurring of work-life lines during the pandemic, a rising Gen Z workforce who refuses to commit to the “old ways of doing business,” or simply, a lot of tired workers saying “enough is enough,” the voices are loud and clear: Burnout is real, and we can do something about it.
So far this year, VSCPA COO Maureen Dingus, CAE, and I have given several presentations to CPAs on burnout, and we’re finding eager audiences who want to learn more to identify and stave off the signs. After all, a burned-out staff is not engaged and could easily leave … and in times of tough recruitment, paying attention to employees’ mental health makes good business sense. It’s also the right thing to do.
The stats in the accounting world aren’t great. More than 300,000 U.S. accountants and auditors left their jobs in the last few years, with many citing burnout as a reason. A recent study found 66% of working accountants have anxiety, 59% are stressed, and 34% are depressed. These numbers are alarming.
Burnout is a conglomeration of three identifiable components: exhaustion (the stress response), feeling negative and cynical toward the workplace, and feeling negative about oneself (a reduced sense of efficacy). Leaders can be trained to recognize the 12 stages of burnout in employees, starting with the first stage of compulsive ambition and ending with the final stage, simply saying, “I can’t go on.”
We’re urging you to first stop and recognize any signs of burnout in yourself. After all, you can’t throw someone a life raft if you’re drowning, too. Determine the non-negotiables for you, first.
If you recognize signs from your employees or a team member, help them set priorities and even ensure time away can be arranged.
These are, of course, simple answers to a complex situation. We go into more detail in our burnout presentations, and we’ll be providing articles and information on burnout throughout the year. Interested in having Maureen or I speak to your organization? Reach out any time.
Stephanie R. Peters, CAE
VSCPA President & CEO
Stephanie Peters has served as VSCPA’s president & CEO since 2007