The holidays are over and all over the country retail personnel are saying, “I can’t do that again. I’ve got to get out of retail.” Some of them are, understandably, experiencing a momentary stress or anxiety reaction. After they’ve had some time to de-stress they’ll bounce back and want to stay in the field.
Others, however, may be experiencing burnout, which is a more serious condition. Instead of being a temporary reaction to a specific situation (the demands the holidays make on retail staffs) burnout is a state of chronic stress. People won’t “just get over it” now that the holiday have passed, because it’s more than “having a couple of bad months”.
Over time constant stress can alter a person’s mental, emotional and physical well being. Some of the symptoms include: a lack of or loss of enthusiasm for the job and personal interests, physical and emotional exhaustion, depersonalization of others, cynicism, detachment from surroundings and people, feelings of ineffectiveness and a low sense of personal accomplishment.
On a professional level this affects their day to day work performance, as well as their relationships with co-workers and customers. By the time people become burnt-out they usually have developed new – and escalated already existing – undesirable attitudes and behaviors.
In many cases their work ethic and moral compass slips. This directly affects the store’s bottom line, as they no longer function effectively. This results in: theft of time, money, product and supplies, sloppy paperwork, inattention to security issues and procedures, indifferent or rude customer service, poor inventory control and no vendor oversight.
In addition to the financial consequences, they often create a problematic work atmosphere. Burned out people are dissatisfied people, and those with limited awareness of their condition will blame other people, places and circumstances for their difficulties. They become the complainers, pot stirrers and nay-sayers.
Their changes in behavior and attitude can be difficult to see at first because burnout “sneaks up”. People don’t all of a sudden wake up one morning and have burnout, nor does it abruptly go away. It’s developed over time and will only get better if it’s acknowledged and dealt with. The sooner co-workers and supervisors confront their actions the better for all concerned.
Nicole Abbott is a professional writer who’s had over 100 articles published. She’s a business consultant and former psycho-therapist with over 20 years of experience in mental health, business and addiction. She’s a coach, lecturer, trainer and facilitator. She has conducted over 200 workshops, trainings, presentations, seminars and college classes.
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