Employee Fatigue and Burnout in the Era of Layoffs and Downsizing

I hear it from client after client, "the axe missed me but hit my two colleagues and now I have their duties plus my own!"  In the days of layoffs, downsizing and jobs being dissolved, the "lucky" employees who are left face a dismal future. They are often met with frozen salaries, or worse yet, asked to take a decrease in pay, yet have several new hats they have to wear to make up for those comrades lost. They don't feel lucky at all.

I must warn all employers out there. I totally understand that there are times you have to cut. There are times those cuts have to be deep. But, know your employees- for they too have limits. I encourage you to understand how much one employee can handle. How many tasks can they do with high quality, attention to detail, a positive attitude, etc...? How can they still feel valued in light of the increased responsibility without equivalent pay increase? Their value is likely to be seen in the quality of work they produce for you. Don't take it lightly.

Do you know and understand how your employees can be fatigued? I'm not just talking about being physically and visibly tired. I'm talking about their self-worth, value, security and craftsmanship being compromised by the increased workload and seeing their peers "let go". Each employee will fatigue in different ways and at different points but it is your job to be cognizant that it will in fact happen. You have to address it before it happens and then be vigilant to observe individual changes over time to address them again.

I also want to warn those of you who think that you can have one man (or woman) do the job of two, three, or four. You can't. (Assuming all did a high quality job in the first place and that each was kept busy for their work week. If you've read other posts of mine, you'll know I'm a huge fan of cutting the fat- those employees who aren't doing high quality work consistently and making the most of their work hours.) 

Take this for example: I recall a polite disagreement I had with a cleaning company once. I paid for three cleaners to be at my home for three hours. The cleaning company only sent two cleaners but argued that they'd stay longer to make up for the missing man (/woman). Now, I encourage you to think about that. Cleaning is hard work. It's physically demanding. Think of fatigue in the traditional sense. Do you think that cleaner one and two will still have the same stamina at hour four that they did at hour one? No, of course they won't. They'll be slower and more tired. Physically and mentally they are ready to rest or do something else. I would be. And, unless I missed something we can't have one person in two places at the same time. Had I gotten the three cleaners I paid for I could have three rooms or three tasks being undertaken at the same time. With two people that is not possible.  The cleaning company was arguing equality but they were wrong. You can't double the duties of someone and expect the same results as having two people doing it. (Again, expecting that people are diligent in their duties in the first place.)

Yes, the "lucky" employees who didn't get the axe may feel fortunate for a quick minute when the pink slip doesn't land in their hand, but that luck will run out when you ask them to pick up where the other guy left off. And, the bad luck will filter into the productivity and culture of your workplace, product/service and brand. Consider yourself warned.