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Description

Burnout: Recognising the Signs, Supporting the Employee and Organising the Return to Work

Knowing what to do when an employee is quietly disengaging, rather than discovering the situation once sick leave has been filed

  • 0.43 days — 3 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

Professional burnout rarely appears overnight. It shows first through signs that colleagues notice without naming them: an employee putting in longer hours with less to show for them, withdrawing from the team, or making unusual mistakes. Without clear reference points, the manager hesitates between intruding and ignoring, and the organisation discovers the situation only when the employee stops working.

These three hours give clear reference points to those who are closest to the situation. Participants learn to hold a conversation with an employee in difficulty without making a diagnosis, to involve the right support channels and to prepare a phased return after absence.

Learning objectives

  • Distinguish professional burnout from temporary stress and other difficulties
  • Recognise warning signs observable in work activity and behaviour
  • Hold a conversation with an employee in difficulty without making a diagnosis
  • Direct the employee to the appropriate internal and external support channels
  • Prepare the return from absence and the associated role adjustments
  • Identify the organisational factors to be corrected upstream

What makes this programme different

The boundary between the manager's role and that of health professionals is stated explicitly
A conversation with an employee who refuses to discuss the issue is role-played in the session
The return to work is prepared as a dated sequence rather than a simple resumption of duties

Programme

1Recognising the situation

Naming what you observe without diagnosing

  • What distinguishes professional burnout from a temporary workload peak
  • Observable signals in work activity, working relationships and behaviour
  • Factors linked to work organisation and individual factors
  • Limits of the manager's role and of the human resources function

2Supporting the employee

Opening the dialogue and involving support channels

  • Preparing and framing a conversation about a situation of concern
  • Speaking from observed facts rather than interpretations
  • Responding to denial or refusal to discuss the subject
  • Internal and external support channels available and confidentiality
  • Following up on the situation over time

3Organising the return and preventing recurrence

Resuming work without repeating the same pattern

  • Preparing the return with the employee and the relevant support channels
  • Adjusting workload and scope of responsibilities on return
  • Informing the team and handling the backlog of accumulated work
  • Analysing organisational causes and defining collective actions

Who is it for

Line managers and human resources professionals, as well as members of employee wellbeing or health and safety committees and occupational wellbeing focal points.

Prerequisites

No prerequisites

Dates & locations

12 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.