It is easy to become burned out on a job, putting in long hours day in and day out, said Felicia Wilson. But how an employer treats an employee who is burned out can make a difference.

Wilson is the director of the human services degree program at Shorter University. She spoke with the Floyd-Gordon Employer Committee during their monthly meeting Tuesday.

Wilson said employers can help workers identify stresses and help reduce the causes. These stress factors can be workload mismatch, when an employee has too many responsibilities, or control mismatch, when an employee feels they have no authority to do their job.

Wilson suggests things like a weekly roundtable with the company administrator or simply writing an employee a letter of praise.

“Let employees know they are part of a family,” Wilson said. “When you have a strong family, it’s hard to break that down.”

Wilson said employers also need to treat employees fairly and not show favoritism.

“Fair treatment is key because it can cause resentment, and where resentment festers it will explode,” she said.

Some common signs of employee burnout are cynicism, inefficacy and emotional exhaustion.

“Once you get there, to these three, it’s a very dark place,” Wilson said.

She said she would like to see employers empower employees and help them achieve their best. Wilson also said that helping an employee avoid getting burned out will ensure employment longevity and in the long run save a company money.