Levels of employee stress and burnout continue to rise. A 2024 study found nearly half of respondents say the majority of their stress comes from work. Another study found over 40% of workers feel burned out. What’s behind increased workplace stress and burnout? And what can employers do about it? We take a look at these topics in this week’s blog.
Stress can be good for us in small doses—until it turns into burnout.
A small amount of stress is good for us. It’s what gets us up in the morning and spurs us to do our best work. It’s normal to have a certain amount of stress related to our jobs. But when work stress is unrelenting, it can lead to burnout and have a negative effect on our health.
What is workplace stress and burnout?
Burnout is not the day-to-day, short-term stress or pressures we might occasionally feel, but rather something that is chronic, intense and unrelenting.
Burnout, according to the World Health Organization, is a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. Our WebMD Health Services Center for Research defines burnout as feeling emotionally drained, negative about work, unable to make an impact, and overwhelmed by workload.
What are the signs of burnout?
Burnout affects both the mind and the body. For example, an employee suffering from burnout might complain of mental and physical exhaustion and poor sleep. They may also experience headaches, stomach pain, and increased blood pressure. In more severe stages of burnout, people can become depressed or misuse drugs and alcohol.
But there are other other signs of burnout in the workplace managers can look for:
- Increased anger or irritability.
- Job dissatisfaction or disengagement.
- Taking an excessive number of sick days.
- Trouble meeting deadlines or focusing on tasks
Burnout numbers are cause for concern.
New studies about post-pandemic employee burnout are emerging, and the numbers are not good.
A 2024 study conducted by WebMD Health Services’ Center for Research revealed:
- One-third of employees are experiencing burnout.
- Employee perceptions of burnout increased over 25% from 2022 to 2024.
- Higher burnout levels among Gen X (born between 1965-1980), senior managers and director-level employees.
- Higher levels of burnout amongst those working fully onsite versus those with flexible work arrangements, such as hybrid work.
- Managers report the lowest scores for work-live balance, along with the highest levels of stress and anxiety.
- 53% of managers report feeling burnout-out at work, slightly higher than employees in general
The Society for Human Resources’ Employee Mental Health in 2024 Research Series also found 45 percent of workers feel “emotionally drained” from their work, and 51 percent feel “used up” at the end of the workday.
What are the causes of stress and burnout at work?
There are many causes of stress and burnout at work. We’ve included a few of them below:
- Overwhelming workload: Too many tasks with too little time to complete them effectively.
- Unrealistic expectations: Being pressured to meet unreasonable deadlines or performance standards.
- Lack of autonomy: Feeling like you have little say in your work responsibilities or schedule.
- Poor communication: Lack of clear direction or insufficient feedback from managers and the organization.
- Ineffective leadership: Managers and leaders who provide little support, guidance or recognition.
- Lack of appreciation: Feeling undervalued or not recognized for contributions.
- Toxic work environment: A culture of conflict, negativity, or workplace bullying.
- Work-life imbalance: Difficulty disconnecting from work due to long hours or constant connectivity. For remote workers, the blurred lines between work and life can add to burnout.
- Constant change: Frequent organizational restructuring or changes in priorities cause stress.
The external environment is also contributing to burnout and stress.
Layered onto these burnout causes are new, external factors. Worries about the economy and rising costs are causing significant financial stress. There is anxiety about the geopolitical landscape and our own political divisions. Climate disasters have disrupted many parts of the country. All of this is leading to what some are calling the Great Exhaustion, and it naturally spills over into how employees show up to work each day.
What is the risk of high levels of stress and burnout in organizations?
Organizations struggling with employee stress and burnout are likely to see impacts in a few key areas:
Employee retention.
According to SHRM data, workers experiencing burnout are nearly three times more likely to be actively searching for another job (45 percent versus 16 percent of those who did not report burnout). In addition, a Kronos study in the Employee Engagement Series found 95% of HR leaders admit employee burnout is sabotaging workforce retention.
Productivity.
SHRM reports that workers who feel burned out are less likely to go above and beyond at work (40 percent versus 56 percent). When employees are stressed, work performance suffers, leading to reduced productivity. In fact, a study cited by the National Institute of Medicine found that “there is a negative correlation between overall stress and productivity: higher stress scores were significantly associated with lower productivity scores.”1
Employee engagement.
Gallup’s November 2024 poll finds just 31% of employees are engaged, and 17% are actively disengaged. It’s the lowest level of employee engagement we’ve seen in a decade.
Reduced team morale.
Burnout doesn’t just affect the individual worker. When a team member is burned out they may become withdrawn, irritable and less engaged, impacting overall team morale and performance.
Employee health.
Stressed workers may be more likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors like substance misuse, poor nutrition, and lack of exercise. And because stress can exacerbate existing chronic conditions, it’s possible to see an uptick in absenteeism and presenteeism. Mental health can also suffer. In our work with clients, we’ve noticed a strong correlation between stress and depression—60% of individuals at high risk for depression are also at increased risk for stress.2
How organizations can help reduce stress and prevent burnout.
It’s tempting to view burnout as an individual problem—one that can be solved by self-help interventions: saying “no,” practicing deep breathing or increasing resilience.3 And while those strategies do help, burnout has more to do with organizational culture, norms and expectations. In other words, it’s on employers to take a close look at the work environment and adjust certain practices to prevent and reduce stress and burnout. For example:
Recognize and appreciate employees.
Recognition can serve as an antidote to burnout. When employees are regularly recognized for their contributions they are more engaged in work, feel more motivated and are better able to cope with short- and long-term stressors.4 Learn how to empower employees with workplace appreciation in our E-Book.
Strengthen manager support.
Managers are the first line of defense when it comes to reducing stress and burnout. In fact, a 2023 study found managers have a greater influence on employee mental health than therapists or doctors, and equal influence to spouses and partners. Weekly one-on-ones keep the lines of communication open and offer the opportunity to assess and adjust workload and ensure that team members feel supported. They’re also a way for managers to get to know employees on a more personal level, which is important to acknowledging that people are humans first, workers second—which can help to increase feelings of belonging, warding off burnout. Check out our E-Book to learn more about manager burnout and how to better support them.
Make sure leaders walk the talk.
Encouraging employees to practice self-care and reduce stress is meaningless unless leaders make a point to role-model stress-busting behaviors. This could include blocking time on their calendars for fitness or meditation, hosting walking meetings, and being open about taking time off to care for their own physical and mental health—or others in their life who need care. Doing so signals that looking after one’s mental health is a priority, empowering others in the organization to do the same.
Create a culture that encourages and supports boundary-setting.
- Employees should set and communicate regular working hours, and block their calendars for self-care or focus time.
- Consider sending reminders to shut down at a reasonable hour and schedule “quiet periods” when employees should refrain from sending or replying to emails.
- Reevaluate time off and vacation policies to incentivize employees to take regular breaks. Possibly schedule mandatory company-wide “holidays” to encourage rest and relaxation
Solicit feedback from your employees.
Did you know that 96% of employees want to be able to give at least some type of feedback to their employers? Investing in an employee feedback tool can help uncover key employee needs through advanced feedback surveys that help shape a high-impact employee engagement strategy.
Leverage your well-being program.
The mind-body connection is undeniable—when we’re feeling healthy, we’re more resilient and less stressed. So, promote your well-being program’s resources for increasing resilience, boosting physical activity, and eating well. Leverage health coaching for stress management services. Wellness challenges that inspire employees—and give them permission—to step away from their desks and move throughout the day are also a great idea.
Embed mindfulness, meditation, and resilience into the corporate culture.
Meditation and mindfulness can clarify thinking, enhance performance, increase resilience, and reduce stress. If you have not made these kinds of resources available to employees to help support stress management in the workplace, think about how you can add them to your well-being program.
Promote your Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
Employee Assistance Programs are well-known for providing access to mental health counselors, but most also offer an array of programs to help with some of life’s common stressors—like figuring out childcare, taking care of elderly relatives, navigating life transitions like having a new baby, and more. So make sure you’re doing all you can to promote your EAP and the valuable stress-relieving services it offers.
Empower employees to control what they can.
In a tumultuous world, employees sometimes need reminders to lean in to healthy behaviors they can actually control that reduce stress and burnout. Things like getting enough sleep, making healthy food choices, prioritizing social connections, making time for daily movement and consuming media thoughtfully. In a recent essay on the “Great Exhaustion,” Emily Ballesteros writes “we must address the factors of exhaustion within our control to ensure we live healthy, peaceful, and satisfying lives.”
Foster a Culture of Well-Being with WebMD Health Services
Stress will always be a part of our lives and work to some degree. But employers do play a role in both not adding to that stress, where it can be helped, and in providing resources for employees to manage stress so it doesn’t lead to burnout.
A work and leadership culture that promotes boundary-setting, emphasizes taking time to recharge, and provides holistic well-being tools to help employees cope with day-to-day stress is key. For help devising a well-being and engagement strategy to manage stress and burnout in your organization, request a demo or contact us at connect@webmd.net.
