At my first summer job at a Veikkaus kiosk, I was so bored that I kept buying Ace cards, which I scribbled away during the working day. The meaningless work was terribly exhausting. I think I ended up losing money from that summer job. I now realise that I must have suffered from the so-called bore-out phenomenon, which has recently emerged as a problem as significant as work fatigue. Bore out is the lesser-known equivalent of burn out, where prolonged stress is caused by the monotony of work. The symptoms are similar to burnout: apathy, cynicism, hopelessness and depression. Whereas burn-out is caused by an excessive workload, bore-out is caused by a lack of job content. Bore out can undermine work performance, work motivation and general well-being just as much as overwork.

The job of frontline staff involves managing employee motivation. Boredom is not just an individual problem, it can have a significant impact on the functioning of the whole organisation and the well-being of employees. When employees experience boredom, their work motivation decreases, which is reflected in the company's performance. 

The Occupational Safety Act requires taking personal characteristics into account

Boredom is personal and the law on safety at work requires employers to take into account the personal characteristics of the worker. The employer must take into account the work, working conditions, other working environment and personal conditions of the employee. Each employee has his or her own experience of which factors contribute to job satisfaction and which factors are perceived by the employee as motivational obstacles.

What can the employer do?

In our culture, it is much trendier to be busy and overworked than underworked and idle. As a result, it can be difficult for an employee to speak up in the workplace about the bore-out phenomenon. However, employers have a responsibility under the Occupational Safety and Health Act to also prevent bore-out by providing sufficient challenge and meaningful work for employees.

To prevent boredom, the employer needs to know the employee and the content of the work the employee is doing. Proactive measures, such as regular discussion and interaction, can help promote work performance and prevent boredom.

The 2022 amendment to the Collective Bargaining Act introduced the obligation of continuous dialogue, which requires employers to share information with staff on their prospects and financial situation in advance. As a lawyer, I have considered that a similar model could be introduced to combat burn-out and bore-out. Every employee has the right to feedback on the work they do. Without feedback, there can be no development. Employees should therefore be regularly consulted on how they feel about their work and be offered opportunities for training and professional development. This can motivate employees if they feel they are developing their skills and see new opportunities in their work. 

Employers should also ensure that employees have clear goals to work towards. Motivation is greatly enhanced if all employees understand what is being done in the workplace, what the work is needed to meet and what each employee's role is in the whole. By helping employees to see how their work relates to the wider organisational goals, they can feel that their work is meaningful.

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- Alexa Kavasto, employment lawyer