Employee Burnout Statistics

‍There Is A Growing Focus On Employee Burnout

Burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged and excessive stress. It occurs when individuals feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands.

As stress continues, individuals begin to lose the interest and motivation that led them to take on a certain role in the first place. Burnout reduces productivity and saps energy, leaving individuals feeling increasingly helpless, hopeless, cynical, and resentful. Eventually, they may feel like they have nothing more to give.

Causes of Burnout

Burnout is typically driven by a mix of factors, including excessive workloads and long hours that lead to exhaustion, and a lack of control over work processes, which fosters feelings of helplessness. Insufficient recognition or rewards can make efforts seem unrewarding, diminishing motivation.

Impacts of Burnout On Businesses

Burnout has significant implications not only for the affected employees but also for organizations. It can lead to higher absenteeism, lower productivity, increased turnover, and a decline in overall workplace morale. For individuals, burnout can result in severe mental and physical health issues, including depression, anxiety, and cardiovascular problems.

Workplace Stress and Burnout Statistics

Exhaustion Among Prime-Aged Workers

‍The findings from survey research highlight some alarming observations for prime-aged Australian workers. In the research it was found that 1-in-2 workers aged between 18 to 54 feel exhausted at work [1].

Stress in Professional Lives

‍A significant 80% of workers encounter stress in their professional lives, and almost half of them, approximately 50%, seek assistance to manage this stress [2].

Negative Impacts of Work-Related Stress

‍Approximately 60% of employees felt negative impacts from work-related stress, including reduced interest, motivation, and energy (26%), lower work effort (19%), cognitive weariness (36%), emotional exhaustion (32%), and a significant 38% increase in physical fatigue, affecting 44% since 2019 [3].

How Burnout Affects Employee Engagement and Turnover

‍Burned-out employees are 63% more likely to take a sick day and 2.6 times as likely to be actively seeking a different job. Employees who often experience burnout are 2.6 times more likely to be actively looking for a new job [4].

Burnout in Australian Workers

‍An alarming 61% of Australian workers reported experiencing burnout, compared to the global average of 48%. Burnout is now attributed to 40% of employee resignations. The economic impact of this can be significant, with burnout and stress-related absenteeism costing the Australian economy an estimated $14 billion annually [5].

Burnout as a Reason for Quitting

‍40% of employees identified burnout as a primary reason for quitting. Notably, 28% of respondents were so dissatisfied that they resigned without securing a new job [6].

Stress-Related Absenteeism

‍80% of employees reported occasional work-related stress, and 60% of absenteeism was linked to stress in some manner [7].

How Workplaces Manage Burnout

‍36% of employees said their organization isn’t doing anything to help with employee burnout [8].

21% of workers say they were able to have open, productive conversations with HR about solutions to their burnout. 56% went so far as to say that their HR departments did not encourage conversations about burnout. [8]

56% of workers listed having flexibility in their workday as the top way their workplace could better support them. Encouraging time off and offering mental health days were tied for second and third at 43%. And 28% felt that increased PTO and better health insurance were the next best ways to provide support [9].

Employer Efforts to Prevent Burnout70% of professionals believe their employers are not doing enough to prevent or mitigate burnout [10].

Burnout Among Managers

‍Managers are just as likely, if not slightly more so, to suffer frequent or constant burnout than individual contributors (26% of managers vs. 24% of individual contributors) [11].

Remote Workers and Burnout

‍Sixty-one percent of remote workers and 53% of on-site workers now find it more difficult to “unplug” from work during off-hours [12].

86% of employees who work from home full-time experience burnout. [13].

67% of remote workers report feeling pressured to be available all the time. [13]

41% of workers who do a high amount of remote work say they feel high levels of stress “always” or “most of the time” [13].

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Helping Employees Avoid Burnout

Helping employess prevent from burning out at work can be a challenging task, but nevertheless criticla in ensuring worker wellbeing. If you think your employees are at risk of burning out, there's a number of strategies to take.

Talk to us today about how Foremind can help improve your team's wellbeing.

References

1. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/633114f1cc72f51e29fbef8a/t/6413d9f5862abf22f9b6eb1f/1679210018394/StateoftheFutureofWork_2023.pdf
2. https://www.stress.org/workplace-stress/
3. https://www.mhfa.com.au/navigating-burnout/
4. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/237059/employee-burnout-part-main-causes.aspx
5. https://www.mhfa.com.au/navigating-burnout/
6. https://www.webmdhealthservices.com/resources/whitepapers/
7. https://www.eaglehillconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/EHC-COVID-19-and-Employee-Burnout-Webinar.pdf
8. https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/flexjobs-mha-mental-health-workplace-pandemic/
9. https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/flexjobs-mha-mental-health-workplace-pandemic/
10. https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/burnout-survey.html
11. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/237119/employee-burnout-part-2-managers.aspx
12. https://www.indeed.com/lead/preventing-employee-burnout-report
13. https://www.zippia.com/advice/remote-work-burnout-statistics/

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