Report: 30% – 40% of Call Center Employees Suffer from Eye Strain and Depression Symptoms
Customer service employees face significant stress, working in noisy environments with high customer expectations to always deliver top-quality service.
They also undergo continuous performance evaluations by executives, increasing their risk of depression and burnout.
According to a report published by Talkdesk, 30% to 40% of call center employees experience eye strain, vision impairment, light sensitivity, headaches, depression symptoms, and other health issues.
What Is Call Center Burnout?
Call center burnout occurs when customer service employees experience chronic stress due to unrealistic expectations, poor work-life balance, and mismanaged workplace conditions.
The World Health Organization (WHO) officially recognized burnout as a syndrome in 2019, identifying three key characteristics:
- Reduced professional efficiency
- Increased negative feelings toward the job
- Physical and emotional exhaustion
Chronic stress can lead to serious physical and psychological problems, such as severe depression or heart disease, making emotional resilience essential for customer service roles.
6 Impacts of Stress on Customer Service Employees
Employee stress directly affects company culture and profitability, with consequences including:
- Frequent Illness – Increased stress leads to more frequent and severe illnesses, longer recovery times, headaches, panic attacks, stomach issues, and chronic lower back pain.
- Reduced Efficiency – Stressed call center employees become less engaged and less effective, leading to lower competence and professionalism.
- Workplace Conflicts – High stress increases workplace conflicts between employees and managers.
- Emotional Exhaustion – Burnout causes emotional and physical fatigue and a loss of personal identity at work.
- Absenteeism – Employees may intentionally miss work without valid reasons due to excessive stress.
- Higher Turnover Rates – Agents experiencing severe stress are less satisfied with their jobs and more likely to leave.
Best Ways to Overcome Customer Service Burnout
Outdated call center equipment that is not integrated with company systems can frustrate employees. Upgrading technology can streamline operations and reduce inefficiencies.
Early Recognition of Depression Symptoms
Managers should understand that burnout is not an individual failure but rather a result of multiple factors, such as workplace mistreatment, excessive monitoring, or unrealistic targets.
Providing Support
Monitoring break times, schedules, and leave policies ensures that employees feel valued and appreciated.
Call centers rely heavily on key performance indicators (KPIs), and excessive tracking may lead to employee exhaustion.
Optimizing work schedules allows employees to have adequate downtime between shifts.
Instead of excessive criticism, providing constructive feedback fosters motivation and respect.
Clarifying Job Roles
Ambiguous responsibilities can increase workplace stress.
Regular daily or individual meetings help set clear short-term goals and provide necessary feedback.
Managing Unmanageable Workloads
If employees are overburdened, reducing workloads should be considered.
Automation, chatbots, and self-service tools can help handle simple inquiries, reducing the burden on employees.
Using Better Technology
Outdated call center equipment that is not integrated with company systems can frustrate employees. Upgrading technology can streamline operations and reduce inefficiencies.
