In this guide, we outline the main causes and symptoms of burnout. We also explain how to recognize burnout in your employees and share concrete steps you can take to address and prevent it.
Burnout is one of the biggest employee health concerns of our time. It results from long-term workplace stress that hasn’t been effectively managed, and it takes a huge toll on both the individual and the company.
If you care about creating a positive workplace culture and prioritizing employee well-being, addressing and preventing burnout is a must.
But what does burnout look like and how can you spot it? What measures are actually effective for keeping burnout at bay and helping employees recover? You’ll find everything you need to know in this guide.
Table of Contents
- What is burnout?
- What are the main causes of burnout?
- How common is burnout?
- What are the effects of employee burnout?
- 5 signs of burnout and how to spot them in your employees
- What to do if an employee is experiencing burnout
- Preventing and addressing burnout: The takeaway
What are the keys to employee satisfaction?
Discover helpful tips to achieve employee happiness in our practical booklet “The Path to Employee Satisfaction.” Download it now for free!
What is burnout?
In 2019, The World Health Organization included burnout in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11).
The ICD-11 sets out the following definition:
“Burnout is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions:
- feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;
- increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and
- reduced professional efficacy.”
Burnout is classified as an occupational phenomenon, not as a medical condition — meaning that, according to WHO, it specifically relates to the workplace and shouldn’t be applied to other areas of life.
You can think of burnout as a depletion of the energy and resources a person has available to give to their job. It’s like running on empty, leaving employees feeling detached and exhausted.
What are the main causes of burnout?
The main causes of burnout include:
- An unmanageable workload. If an employee has too much to do all the time, they can quickly fall into a cycle of working excessively long hours. Not only does this impact their mental and physical health, but it can also diminish their confidence in their professional ability.
- A monotonous or under-challenging workload. It’s not just heavy workloads that lead to burnout. Studies have shown that monotony, boredom, and mundanity can also have a negative impact on employee mental health — potentially leading to stress and, eventually, burnout.
- Unfair treatment at work and/or a toxic environment. Discrimination, being treated unfairly by coworkers/supervisors, not receiving fair compensation, a lack of positive relationships or a sense of belonging at work, and generally being part of a toxic company culture are all major risk factors for burnout.
- Lack of role clarity. In their State of the American Workplace report, Gallup found that only 60% of workers strongly agree that they know what’s expected of them at work. With a lack of role clarity and unclear expectations, achieving a sense of fulfillment at work is practically impossible — and trying to keep up with ever-moving goalposts can be exhausting to the point of burnout.
- Work-life imbalance. Having a healthy work-life balance is critical for employee well-being. If employees don’t feel like they can take sufficient time off, switch off after the working day, or set healthy boundaries, they’ll struggle to achieve a good work-life balance. Over time, this may contribute to burnout.
- Feeling undervalued and unrecognized. One of the main signs of burnout is an employee distancing themselves from their job — a gradual but noticeable disengagement and detachment. This might occur if employees don’t get enough recognition or acknowledgement for their work. Over time, they’ll doubt the value of their own contributions, start to feel disconnected from their work, and possibly end up feeling burned out.
- Perceived lack of autonomy. Another contributing factor is a lack of control or autonomy over one’s work, which may go hand-in-hand with being micromanaged. If employees don’t feel trusted to get the job done, their motivation, enthusiasm, and confidence will diminish. This is a tiring and unhealthy state to be in, and one that may lead to burnout.
Those are the causes of burnout. But how prevalent is burnout among the working population today? Let’s find out in the next section.
How common is burnout?
Burnout became a major topic for discussion in the midst and wake of the pandemic, and it continues to pose a significant threat today.
According to Zippia, 89% of workers have experienced burnout in the last year, and 77% of employees have experienced burnout at their current job.
Another study by Future Forum found that burnout is on the rise, up 8% in Q4 of 2022 compared to Q2. The most significant increase is in the US, where 43% of desk workers reported experiencing burnout.
Women and younger workers are most susceptible, with women experiencing a 32% higher burnout rate than men, and 49% of 18 to 29 year olds saying they feel burned out compared to 38% of workers aged 30 and over.
Burnout is still common, even with the rise of remote work and increased flexibility. Preventing and addressing it must be a top priority, for reasons we’ll outline next.
What are the effects of employee burnout?
The most obvious effect of burnout is on the individual, whose mental and physical health can suffer as a result. Burnout also has a major impact on the company, affecting morale, productivity, and retention.
Here’s what happens when employees experience burnout:
- Burnout worsens stress and anxiety. According to the same Future Forum study cited earlier, employees who are burned out report 22x worse stress and anxiety at work compared to their peers.
- Burnout negatively impacts performance. Employees with burnout are 32% less productive and 60% less able to focus. They are also 13% less confident in their own performance, and half as likely to discuss performance goals with their manager (Gallup).
- Burnout increases sickness and absenteeism. Employees who experience burnout are 63% more likely to take a sick day and 23% more likely to visit the emergency room.
- Burnout negatively impacts employee retention. Future Forum reports that employees with burnout are 3x more likely to look for a new job, while Gallup found that burned-out employees are 2.6x more likely to leave their current employer.
Burnout is bad news for individuals and organizations alike. As an employer, it’s essential that you’re able to spot the symptoms of burnout and take action.
5 signs of burnout and how to spot them in your employees
Common signs and symptoms of burnout include:
- A lack of engagement
- Reduced productivity
- Increasing absenteeism
- Irritability
- Diminishing confidence
Let’s explore these in more detail.
1. A lack of engagement
One of the major warning signs of burnout is when an otherwise motivated and engaged employee seems to withdraw from their role and from the workplace in general. If you get the sense that an employee is “there” but not really present, their enthusiasm may be waning as a result of burnout.
This might look like:
- Not attending team meetings, or attending but not really contributing or engaging
- Turning down new projects (projects they may previously have been excited about)
- Withdrawing socially, isolating themselves from their colleagues and peers
When an employee is suffering with burnout, they’re experiencing a depletion of their emotional resources. This can make it difficult to engage and give their all, both work-wise and socially.
2. Reduced productivity
Earlier, we mentioned how employees with burnout are 32% less productive. If you notice any of the following, it may be an indication that an employee is experiencing burnout:
- They’re working at a slower rate than usual and/or missing deadlines
- They’re producing lower-quality work
- They’re having trouble focusing
It’s hard for an employee to maintain their usual levels of output if they’re feeling exhausted and detached from the job. As such, you can expect performance and productivity to take a hit if an employee is feeling burned out.
3. Increased absenteeism
Does your employee seem to be taking more time off than usual? Are they frequently taking sick days or skipping meetings?
Increased absenteeism may be another sign of burnout. This can be due to emotional detachment from the job and a need to “get away”, but it can also be because of physical symptoms associated with burnout, such as headaches, gastrointestinal disorders, and increased susceptibility to colds and flu.
Burnout takes its toll both mentally and physically, typically leading to an increase in sick days.
4. Irritability
If you suspect an employee has burnout, pay attention to subtle changes in their mood. In particular, a burned out employee may be:
- Uncharacteristically irritable
- Sensitive to feedback
- Generally more negative and cynical
These changes in mood tend to be the result of frustration and helplessness; frustration because they feel like they’re not doing a good job, and helplessness because they don’t feel able to change the situation.
5. Diminishing self-confidence
Because burnout reduces an employee’s efficacy and productivity, it can be highly detrimental to their confidence and self-esteem.
Often, employees with burnout will feel a sense of failure. They gradually lose confidence in their abilities, frequently exhibiting signs of self-doubt — such as being overly critical of their own work and not being able to accept positive feedback or recognize their accomplishments.
If you notice a once-confident employee increasingly doubting themselves, they may be struggling with burnout.
What to do if an employee is experiencing burnout
70% of employees feel that employers aren’t doing enough to prevent and address burnout, indicating an alarming lack of support.
If you think that an employee may be experiencing burnout — or if they tell you that they are — here’s what you can do to help:
- Identify and address the root cause(s)
- Encourage time off
- Reset goals and expectations
- Be flexible
- Provide access to well-being support and resources
1. Identify the root cause(s)
There are many different factors that contribute to burnout, and these vary from one person to the next. If an employee is experiencing burnout, the first step is to identify the root cause.
Start with an honest conversation. Approach with empathy and compassion, making it clear that this is a safe space and that you’re there to help. If an employee is struggling to open up, give them the option of speaking online via chat or email rather than face-to-face — this may make it easier for them to share how they’re feeling.
From there, focus on solution-finding and problem-solving. If your employee tells you their workload is too heavy, discuss what you can take off their plate. If they feel undervalued and/or under-challenged, explore how you can redefine their role and responsibilities.
2. Encourage time off
Time off is critical, both for addressing burnout and preventing it.
Once you’ve identified that an employee has burnout, it’s essential that they take sufficient time off to rest and distance themselves from the factors that caused their burnout in the first place.
This raises the question: How long does it take to recover from burnout? How much time off does an employee need?
Unfortunately, there’s no hard-and-fast answer. Burnout is not a one-size-fits-all condition, and there’s no universal recovery period. It varies from person to person and depends on the severity of the burnout — ranging from a few weeks to a few years.
Again, open communication with your employee will help here. Ask them how much time they think they need, but encourage them to take at least a few weeks off to begin with.
Note that taking time off won’t be a cure for burnout; you’ll still need to address the root causes and make appropriate changes in time for when your employee returns.
3. Reset goals and expectations
Once you’ve established that an employee has burnout, consider it an opportunity for a fresh start — both for them and for you as their employer/manager.
This is a good moment to discuss their position in the company and set new goals and expectations. Spend time together figuring out how their role can be better aligned to suit their skills, values, and aspirations.
How can you redefine their role to help them feel more fulfilled at work? What can you take off and/or add to their plate to make their workload more manageable or more interesting/challenging? What goals and expectations can you outline to ensure they have complete clarity moving forward?
At the same time, reevaluate your role as their manager. How can you support them better? What do they need more of (or less of) from you?
Managerial support is a key factor when it comes to preventing and addressing burnout. By redefining both their role and yours, you show true commitment to improving the situation.
4. Be flexible
Flexibility is key when it comes to helping your employees achieve a healthy work-life balance, and it may prove critical in addressing burnout.
Future Forum reports that workers who have full schedule flexibility report 29% higher productivity and 53% more ability to focus than workers who have no possibility to work flexibly. Flexible remote work policies were also cited as the number one factor that has improved company culture over the last two years.
If you’re not already embracing flexibility, now is the time. With more flexibility to work from home and/or manage their own schedules, employees will be better equipped to juggle work and life — achieving a healthier balance and alleviating some of the symptoms and causes of burnout.
5. Provide access to well-being support and resources
According to a 2023 survey, 67% of employees want their employer to provide mental health support. This is an important step for helping those who are already experiencing burnout, but also for nurturing employee well-being in general.
There are several ways you can support mental health in the workplace. Consider:
- providing access to mental health tools and technology,
- offering mental health training and workshops, and
- setting up an employee resource group (ERG).
Ultimately, prioritizing employee mental health is critical for preventing burnout and for creating an environment that enables burned-out employees to recover.
Preventing and addressing burnout: The takeaway
When you consider the main causes of burnout, you’ll notice that they’re all symptomatic of an unhealthy company culture — or, at least, an unhealthy working environment for the employee concerned. As such, many of the steps you can take to address and prevent burnout involve improving your company culture in some way.
If you’re committed to nurturing employee well-being, building a positive work environment, and improving the employee experience (EX), you’ll automatically make progress towards keeping burnout at bay. For more valuable insights, read this guide on how to create psychological safety at work or check out these tips for improving your company culture.
What are the keys to employee satisfaction?
Discover helpful tips to achieve employee happiness in our practical booklet “The Path to Employee Satisfaction.” Download it now for free!
