How To Avoid Burnout As A Childcare Worker

Child care center directors and admins have a critical role in supporting your staff throughout the year to help keep the dreaded burnout at bay. Burnout is a major factor in high turnover, costing small businesses between 16-20% of annual salary for every employee who leaves, according to People Keep’s Christina Merhar. However, you can get ahead of this beast and offer your staff some perks that will hopefully keep the work/life balance in order as well as retain your employees for the longer term. Appreciation and recognition are key.

Here are few ways to do both:

• Minimize and simplify paperwork and mundane tasks using technology
• Open door policy—let them know that you are always in their corner—be approachable and one who takes action to rectify challenges
• Rotate ancillary duties (car duty, lunch duty, front desk duty, etc.) often, and allow teachers and staff to trade responsibilities.
• Recognize even the small instances of someone going the extra mile (Sonic gift cards, duty free day, order in lunch for that teacher, publish their good deed in the monthly newsletter)
• Provide special staff breakfasts once a month
• Coupons for jeans/casual dress days
• Make the effort to privately thank each member of your team every single day for something they did well

Burnout is no joke for childcare workers. It also doesn’t have to feel like the end of the world. If we are in the workforce long enough, we will all experience it in some form or fashion. However, with recognition and deliberate change, we can win the burnout battle!