Burnout was initially identified in the human services field in the 1970’s but was not really taken seriously until it was identified as an occupational disease by Herbert Freudenberger and then even more so when Christina Maslach elaborated on its consequences in 1976.

In the human services field today, it is imperative for the human resources department to acknowledge the fact that human service employees are a great resource and a process must be put in to place to protect them from the work-related stressors which lead to burnout.

Factors that cause individual burnout include such things as personality, unrealistic career goals and or expectations. Aspects of the culture in general, along with a declining feeling of community, hindered expectations for the self-actualizing potential of work, and persistent competition, produces an atmosphere contributing to burnout. Organizational norms factors that contribute to burnout include a lack of variable management philosophies and approaches, lack of feedback, pervasive competition, and large amounts of controversy. Factors that lead to burnout in organizational roles include individuals who experience disagreements in expectations, unclear expectations, or work overload; a job with a lack of motivating potential, or has low self-determination. The failure to include key employees such as supervisors or managers in administrative plans or procedures also significantly contributes to burnout among supervisory staff.

According to Lewis, Packard, Lewis (2007), these causes of burnout have been put into categories of work overload, a lack of community support, a lack of appraisal and rewards, conflicting values, lack of direction, and a lack of respect, trust and openness.

Burnout in employees is known to destroy the efficiency and effectiveness of an organization. Although burnout is inevitable,