L’issue of burn-out in the professional world is currently at the heart of occupational health debates. This syndrome ofburnout, although extremely widespread, is still struggling to be formally recognized as an occupational disease in many countries, including France.
Yet, this disease is now recognized as an occupational disease and was officially classified as an international disease by WHO. This article details the implications of this recognition for professionals and organizations.
Better understand burnout
THE burnout, also known as “burnout syndrome“, represents an alarming phenomenon that transcends sectors of activity, increasingly affecting professionals around the world. Historically identified among caregivers, this syndrome quickly extended its influence to all professions requiring a intensive commitment, testifying to the deterioration of relationships between individuals and their work environment. It’s not just a state of fatigue; it is a profound exhaustion both physical, emotional and mental, where even rest is no longer enough to replenish the energy spent.
Despite its increasing prevalence, burnout is not officially recognized as an occupational disease in many legal systems, in particular due to the absence of suitable criteria to establish a direct causal link with work and significant incapacity. This lack of recognition complicates access to necessary support for victims, who often suffer in silence. Symptoms can include marked disengagement from work, loss of self-confidence, and increased cynicism, contributing to a toxic atmosphere for both the individual and those around them at work.
To respond to this problem, legislative proposals seek to move towards better recognition and management of burn-out. At the same time, it is imperative to adopt a different approach within companies to prevent this syndrome, by promoting a better work-life balance and establishing psychological support policies. The challenge is significant, but essential to preserve the mental and physical health of workers, and by extension, the productivity and humanity of modern professional environments.
How does burnout manifest?
This syndrome manifests itself by several symptoms disturbing such as:
- Marked emotional, physical and psychological exhaustion
- An inability to recover during rest periods
- A cynical and negative attitude towards work, accompanied by a decline in performance
- Feelings of worthlessness and low self-esteem
Initially identified among caregivers, burnout today affects all professions requiring deep and often emotional commitment.
The current situation of legal recognition of occupational disease
To date, the burn-out is not recognized as an occupational illness on official lists which allow automatic compensation by social security systems. Recognition can only be achieved if a direct causal link between work and pathology is established, and that the exhaustion caused a permanent incapacity of at least 25%. Here is the table of diseases recognized as occupational diseases.
THE path to recognition of burn-out as an occupational illness is strewn with pitfalls, mainly due to the lack of clearly defined objective criteria for diagnosing this syndrome. Proposals to facilitate this recognition have included reducing the rate of permanent disability required, initiatives unfortunately rejected for various reasons, including the impossibility of measuring psychological conditions accurately and the potential cost to businesses.
How to have your burnout recognized as an occupational illness?
There recognition of burnout as an occupational illness is a structured and regulated process that all employees must follow meticulously to assert their rights. Here are the steps in this process for workers affected by this burnout syndrome.
First step: Consultation with occupational medicine
It all starts with a appointment with occupational medicine, where the doctor must evaluate the employee and can issue a work stoppage specifying that the burnout is of professional origin. This judgment must detail the nature of the disorder and its symptoms, in accordance with theArticle L. 461-5 of the Social Security Code, which frames this approach.
Second step: Submission of documents to the CPAM
The employee must then send to their Primary Health Insurance Fund the required documents: parts 1 and 2 of the work stoppage, the Cerfa form n°60-3950 for recognition of occupational illness, and the salary certificate necessary to calculate compensation. These documents must be transmitted in a period of fifteen days following the work stoppage.
Third and fourth steps: Evaluation and final decision
There CPAM evaluates the file and issues a reasoned opinion within three months following receipt of the documents. If the rate ofpermanent incapacity is judged to be greater than 25%, the file is then transmitted to the Regional Committee for the Recognition of Occupational Diseases (CRRMP), which has four months to make a final decision. This instance also determines the amount of daily allowances and compensation due in the event of permanent incapacity.
This course, although complex, is to be done for employees suffering from burnout, providing a legal route to gaining recognition and support for their work-related condition.
Potential impact on employers and the health system
Officially recognize burn-out as an occupational illness would have direct financial implications for employers, due to theplanned increase in contributions to cover risks. However, it could also encourage them to take more serious preventive measures to protect the mental health of their employees, which in the long term could reduce the frequency of burn-out cases and improve productivity.
There road towards recognition of burn-out as an occupational illness is complex and fraught with regulatory and economic obstacles. However, awareness ofimportance of the mental health at work increase, which could accelerate the reform process. Continuing efforts to adapt occupational health legislation and policies are essential to better protect workers and ultimately guarantee, adequate recognition of burnout syndrome.
