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Description

Occupational Burnout: Spotting the Signals, Supporting People and Acting on Work

Two days to know what to do when a team member is burning out and to act before absence occurs

  • 2 days — 14 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

A committed employee stops working overnight. Looking back, everyone had noticed signs without knowing what to do with them or whom to speak to. Those around the person hesitate between intruding and doing nothing. After the absence begins, the return is poorly prepared and the working conditions that led to the burnout remain unchanged.

These 14 hours equip the people on the front line. Participants distinguish burnout from ordinary stress, spot individual and collective signals, conduct a conversation without making a diagnosis, direct people to the right support, address actual workload and then prepare a return to work after a long absence.

Learning objectives

  • Distinguish occupational burnout from stress and other work-related conditions
  • Spot the individual and collective signals that precede burnout
  • Conduct a conversation with an employee in difficulty without making a diagnosis
  • Direct people to the right contacts inside and outside the organisation
  • Act on the organisational factors that fuel burnout
  • Prepare the return to work after an extended absence

What makes this programme different

Difficult conversations role-played and then reviewed step by step in session
A signal-spotting checklist ready to use as soon as you are back at work
A focus on work organisation rather than on individual resilience

Programme

1Understanding Occupational Burnout

What happens before the collapse

  • Distinguishing stress, burnout and other conditions
  • Gradual onset and observable phases
  • Factors linked to work organisation and job content
  • Relationship with engagement and meaning at work
  • Common misconceptions about the people affected

2Spotting and Raising the Alert

Seeing the signs and acting on them

  • Behavioural and relational signals
  • Collective indicators: absences, repeated departures and tensions
  • Changing relationship with working hours and workload
  • The role of colleagues in early detection
  • Internal escalation channels and confidentiality

3Conversation and Referral

Talking without diagnosing

  • Preparing and framing the conversation
  • Stating observations based on observable facts
  • Listening, rephrasing and handling emotion
  • Limits of the manager's and the HR professional's role
  • Referral to occupational health services and internal support

4Acting on Work and Preparing the Return

Addressing causes, not only effects

  • Analysing actual workload
  • Room for manoeuvre and management support
  • Regulating demands and interruptions
  • Preparing a return after a long absence
  • Adjustments and long-term follow-up

Who is it for

Line managers · human resources professionals · occupational health focal points and employee representatives dealing with burnout situations.

Prerequisites

No prerequisites

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.