Employee Wellbeing Program: Burnout Reduction Guide

1. Program Introduction & Benefits

This 12-month Employee Wellbeing Program is a structured, evidence-based initiative designed to measurably combat employee burnout. Synthesizing world-class frameworks like PERMA(H) and the 8-Step Framework for Sustainable Workplace Wellbeing, the program adopts a holistic approach. It moves beyond awareness to foster genuine behavioral and cultural change, targeting the root causes of burnout through self-assessment, skill-building, personalized action planning, and organizational sustainment. The core objective is to achieve a 25% reduction in validated burnout scores within one year.

Strategic Benefits for Employees:

• Enhanced Resilience & Wellbeing: Employees gain practical, personalized tools from positive psychology (PERMA-H) to manage stress, build resilience, and cultivate positive emotions, engagement, and meaningful relationships at work.
• Restored Autonomy & Control: Through co-created action plans and boundary-setting workshops, employees reclaim agency over their workloads and routines, directly addressing key burnout drivers like exhaustion and cynicism.
• Stronger Support Networks: The program facilitates the development of peer support networks and fosters a culture of shared ownership over wellbeing, reducing feelings of isolation and lack of support.
• Increased Engagement & Accomplishment: By aligning personal strengths with work activities and setting achievable goals (using models like GROW), employees can rediscover meaning and a sense of accomplishment in their roles.
• Sustainable Healthy Habits: The 70-20-10 learning model ensures skills are applied and habits are formed through experiential, on-the-job practice, supported by social learning and formal training, leading to lasting change.

2. Program Expansion Strategy

Evaluation: This is a comprehensive wellbeing program, not exclusively a Mentorship or Coaching program. However, the program's goal of reducing burnout by 25% involves deeply personal behavioral change and navigating work-specific challenges. A supplemental Peer Coaching layer would significantly enhance outcomes by providing personalized, ongoing support and accountability.

Why it Adds Value: While the core modules provide knowledge and structure, sustained habit change often requires individualized guidance. A peer coaching component directly addresses the audience-specific challenge of "Lack of Personalized Support" and "Sustaining Habits Without Buy-In." It creates a safe space for employees to problem-solve real-time issues (e.g., boundary-setting with a specific manager, resilience during a critical project) using the program's frameworks. This social learning element amplifies the 20% component of the 70-20-10 rule, embedding wellbeing practices into the daily fabric of work.

Implementation Note: Integrate a voluntary peer coaching circle model within Months 4-11. After the initial skill-building phase (Month 6), pair or group participants into small circles. Provide them with a structured conversation guide based on the GROW model and program pillars. Facilitate bi-monthly check-ins via the Internal Social Network or dedicated sessions, focusing on action plan progress, obstacle navigation, and celebrating wins. This requires minimal formal training but maximizes peer support and accountability.

3. Implementation Roadmap

Launch Phase (Months 0-1)

• $render`✓` Secure executive sponsorship and define program governance.
• $render`✓` Form a cross-functional wellbeing steering committee with employee representatives.
• $render`✓` Finalize and communicate the program vision, benefits, and voluntary participation model to all employees.
• $render`✓` Deploy the Baseline Assessment (e.g., Maslach Burnout Inventory - Emotional Exhaustion subscale, engagement survey) via the LMS or survey tool.
• $render`✓` Set up all program tracks and content in the LMS.
• $render`✓` Launch the dedicated program space on the Internal Social Network.

Tracking & Operations (Months 2-11)

• Monthly: Steering committee reviews participation metrics (LMS reports), activity on the Social Network, and any early feedback.
• Bi-Monthly: Facilitate peer coaching circle check-ins and share inspirational content/spotlights.
• Quarterly: Release short "pulse" surveys (2-3 questions) on the Social Network to gauge sentiment and stress levels.
• Milestone Gates:
  • Month 3: Analyze baseline data, share high-level insights (protecting anonymity), and launch Module 1 (Self-Assessment).
  • Month 6: Conduct interim burnout & engagement survey. Analyze for early trends. Launch peer coaching circles.
  • Month 9: Audit self-reported action plan logs and conduct mid-program focus groups.

Success Measurement

• Primary Quantitative KPI: 25% reduction in average Maslach Burnout Inventory (Emotional Exhaustion) scores from Baseline (Month 0) to Final (Month 12).
• Secondary Quantitative KPIs:
  • 20% improvement in Utrecht Work Engagement Scale scores.
  • 90% completion rate of core training modules in the LMS.
  • 80% of participants maintain an active, updated wellbeing action plan.
  • 15% reduction in unplanned absenteeism.
• Qualitative KPIs & Feedback Mechanisms:
  • Net Promoter Score (NPS) >70 for the program via final survey.
  • Thematic analysis of reflection journals (optional) and focus group transcripts for stories of reduced stress and improved relationships.
  • Documented leadership endorsements and evidence of wellbeing language integration into team meetings and policies.

4. Approved Tools List

• LMS (Learning Management System): Primary Justification: This is the essential delivery and tracking platform for the structured program content (videos, guides, assessments). It is required to host the four core modules, track mandatory completion rates (90% KPI), and administer pre/post burnout surveys (MBI) in a secure, organized manner.
• Internal Social Network: Primary Justification: Critical for fostering the "Relationships" (R in PERMA) and "Social" (S in SPICE) components. It will host the peer support networks, facilitate peer coaching circle communications, share success stories, and provide a platform for leadership to visibly endorse and participate in wellbeing culture. It enables the social learning (20%) component of the 70-20-10 model.
• Personality Test / Strengths Assessment (e.g., VIA Survey): Secondary Justification: To be used within Module 1: Self-Assessment and Awareness. This tool provides a personalized, positive foundation for employees, helping them identify character strengths to leverage in building resilience and finding meaning at work, directly supporting the PERMA(H) and SPICE frameworks.

(Mentorship/Coaching Software, ERG Program Software, and Onboarding Platform are not selected as they are not the primary drivers for this program's structure and core KPIs. The peer coaching element is adequately supported by the LMS for guides and the Internal Social Network for interaction.)

5. Resource & Content Library

General Program Content

• Module 1: Self-Assessment & Awareness
  • Guide: "Understanding Your Burnout Signals: A Self-Diagnosis Toolkit"
  • Interactive Video: "Interpreting Your MBI & Engagement Survey Results"
  • Activity: "Completing the VIA Character Strengths Survey and Applying Strengths at Work"
  • Worksheet: "Co-Creating Your Personal Wellbeing Vision"
• Module 2: Resilience & Skill-Building
  • Video Series: "The PERMA(H) Toolkit for Work" (5 short videos, one per element).
  • Interactive Guide: "The GROW Model for Wellbeing Goal Setting"
  • Micro-learning Videos: "Stress Management Techniques: From Cognitive Reframing to Mindful Breaks"
  • Podcast Series: "Building Resilient Relationships with Colleagues"
• Module 3: Action Planning & Habits
  • Template: "My Personalized Wellbeing Action Plan"
  • Workshop Guide: "Setting Healthy Boundaries: Communication Scripts and Strategies"
  • Toolkit: "Designing Your Flexible Routine for Energy Management"
  • Challenge: "The 30-Day Habit Tracker for Micro-Wellbeing Wins"
• Module 4: Sustainment & Measurement
  • Guide: "Championing Wellbeing: A Toolkit for Leaders"
  • Handbook: "Sustaining Your Peer Support Network"
  • Webinar: "Data for Good: How We Measure and Iterate Our Wellbeing Culture"
  • Template: "My Long-Term Wellbeing Maintenance Plan"

Supplemental Mentoring Content Table

To support the Peer Coaching Circles, provide the following guides to participants:

Content Title	Core Skill Focus	Description / Use Case
The Peer Coaching Conversation Guide	Active Listening, GROW Model	A structured one-page template to guide coaching sessions, with prompts for each GROW stage (Goal, Reality, Options, Will).
Giving Supportive Feedback	Giving Feedback	Techniques for offering observations and support without judgment, focused on behavior and the coachee's action plan.
Asking Powerful Questions	Inquiry	A cheat sheet of open-ended questions to help peers explore challenges and solutions related to burnout and wellbeing habits.
Maintaining Confidentiality & Trust	Psychological Safety	Ground rules and guidelines for creating a safe, confidential space within the peer coaching circle.
Navigating Common Scenarios	Problem-Solving	Brief case studies on typical burnout-related challenges (e.g., "My manager keeps pinging me after hours") with discussion prompts for the circle.