November 26, 2013
Categories: Organizational Management

BurnoutAnimal shelter employees and volunteers experience feelings of emotional burnout in their work — so much so, that many of them consider quitting.

In the fall of 2012, Maddie’s InstituteSM conducted an online survey of executive directors, employees and volunteers from companion-animal care organizations across the country, seeking to assess overall levels of engagement among shelter employees, investigate what factors can increase engagement or disengagement, and provide resources to enable organizations to improve engagement.

Among surveyed shelters, 35 percent of employees and 28 percent of volunteers reported experiencing feelings of emotional burnout, with 18 percent of employees additionally reporting they often think about quitting their jobs.

Interestingly, volunteers who have served in their organization for more than one year appeared more likely to experience feelings of emotional burnout than those who have served less than one year (32 percent versus 11 percent,), but duration of employment did not affect burnout rates for paid staff.

What can help? Recommendations for coping with or preventing burnout include a comprehensive orientation program for new hires and volunteers, as well as ongoing training and supervision.

Want more information? You’ll find a summary of our survey results here, and can view or download a PDF of the entire survey report here.