Workplace
burnout has become one of the defining wellbeing challenges of the modern
workplace. Once dismissed by some as little more than a corporate buzzword,
burnout is now recognised as a serious occupational issue with significant
consequences for employees, organisations, and productivity. As workloads
intensify and the boundaries between work and personal life continue to blur,
prioritising employee wellbeing has never been more important.
The evidence is
difficult to ignore. According to a 2024 study by Indeed, more than half (52%)
of UK employees report feeling burned out, with 67% saying their symptoms have
worsened since the pandemic. Similarly, Deloitte UK's research found that 63%
of employees experienced at least one characteristic of burnout- an increase of
51% compared with two years earlier.
The message is
clear: burnout is not a passing trend or workplace cliché. It is a growing
threat to employee health, wellbeing, and organisational performance.
Understanding what burnout is, recognising the warning signs, and taking
proactive steps to prevent it are essential for creating healthier, more
resilient workplaces.
Burnout is
defined is a state of significant mental, physical and emotional exhaustion
caused by chronic and unmanaged stress. Whilst burnout is typically caused by
stress, the two are not the same.
Stress is often
short term and whilst it may impact your energy and emotions, it does not
typically prevent individuals from engaging in day-to-day activities.
Conversely, burnout often leads individuals to feel detached, demotivated and
exhausted to the point that even routine tasks can feel overwhelming.
One of the most
challenging parts of burnout, is that it can often creep up on us. It can begin
with feeling overwhelmed but assuming that these feelings will improve once the
busy period has passed. Recognising the warning signs is one of the most
important steps in protecting your wellbeing.
Physical Symptoms:
- Feeling
exhausted most of the time
- Struggling
to sleep
- Headaches
- Nausea
or lack of appetite
- Frequent
illness due to lowered immune function
- Feeling
trapped or defeated
- Self-doubt
and self-criticism
- Feeling
detached from things that used to bring pleasure
- Feeling
demotivated and/or cynical
- Lacking
a sense of achievement
- Persistent
worry and/or anxiety
- Procrastination
- Difficulty
concentrating
- Decreased
productivity
- Withdrawing
from people, responsibilities and/or activities
- Reliance
on food, alcohol and/or drugs to cope
Feeling
irritable or angry - High
absenteeism at work
What really causes burnout?
Burnout isn’t a
case of a singular bad day or an isolated event. Instead, it usually develops
over time through a combination of prolonged pressure, workplace demands and
limited resources to manage increasing stressors.
Renowned
burnout researcher Dr Christina Maslach, there are 6 primary factors that may
place someone at an increased risk of burnout. It’s important to remember that
the below factors do not guarantee that someone will experience burnout. Similarly,
you don’t need to identify with all 6 factors to feel burned out. Everyone
experiences pressure differently and if any of these factors feel familiar over
a prolonged period of time, it may be worthwhile to reflect on what support or
resources may help you to support your wellbeing.
The 6 Leading Contributors to Burnout:
It is
perhaps not surprising that workload is one of the greatest contributors to
burnout. Importantly, workload risk does not refer to an occasional burst of
increased work. Instead, risk increases when workplace demands continuously
exceed an individual’s resources for coping with them. This may include long
hours, tight deadlines, juggling multiple responsibilities at once or
unrealistic workload expectations. Over time, this level of stress becomes
unsustainable, leading to physical and mental exhaustion.
2.) Lack of Control
It’s not
just how much you work that contributes to burnout, but your ability to take
control of it. Dr Maslach found that individuals who had high workloads, but
also had high levels of autonomy for managing that work, were less likely to
experience burnout. Conversely, those with little flexibility often felt that
workload was unmanageable.
3.) Lack of Recognition or Reward
When
you’re working incredibly hard, sometimes it’s not just about the volume of
work, but also whether others see and value your contributions. When
individuals don’t receive recognition for hard work or don’t feel supported by
colleagues, it can lead to a sense of futility and disengagement, which are
hallmarks of burnout.
4.) Relationships
Full-time workers spend 36% of their waking hours at work each week. It’s therefore
not surprising that the people we are surrounded by during that time can have a
huge impact on wellbeing. According to Maslach, “"People thrive in
community and function best when they share praise, comfort, happiness, and
humor with people they like and respect. In addition to emotional exchange and
instrumental assistance, this kind of social support reaffirms a person's
membership in a group with a shared sense of values."
5.) Lack of Fairness
When
work processes and systems don’t feel fair, it can lead to feeling disrespected
and powerless within the workplace. There are a number of situations that can
lead to a perceived lack of fairness, including:
·
Inequity
in workload or pay
·
Cheating
in the workplace
·
Inappropriate
handling of promotions or evaluations
·
Poor
dispute resolution procedures
6.) Values
The last
factor Maslach identified is when an individual’s values do not correspond to
the values of their employer. For example, someone may pursue a career in
research due to a value on advancing science. Yet upon starting, they find that
their management’s focus is primarily on securing funding, not on the research
itself. Alternatively, value mismatches can occur when an individual chooses a
job in the knowledge that it does not align with their values. For example,
someone may strongly value animal welfare yet choose to work for a cosmetics
company that tests their products on animals. Whilst they initially accepted
the role for its competitive salary, value misalignment may prove draining and
demoralising over time.
Burnout is not a personal failure
If you’ve
recognised several of the symptoms or risk factors discussed in this article,
it is important to remember that burnout is not a sign of failure nor a sign
that you are not resilient enough. It is an understandable consequence to
prolonged stress that has gone unaddressed.
Recognising the
impact of burnout is an important first step towards recovery. By understanding
what contributes to burnout, you can begin to identify where changes or
additional support may be needed to protect your wellbeing.
To learn practical strategies for preventing
and managing burnout, take a look at our “5 Steps to Banish Burnout” article on
the Workplace Wellbeing Hub.
