Why employees expect to burn out

Why employees expect to burn out

Research published in time for Stress Awareness Month suggests that 62% of British employees had experienced burnout (a state of physical and emotional exhaustion) in the past year. A quarter believe they had been burnt out ‘consistently’ over that period.

The figure was one headline in the Anatomy of Work Index produced by global software firm Asana from surveying 10,000 employees internationally (2,000 in the UK).

Why it’s happening

Burnout is supposedly more of a problem for women (67% compared with 58% of men had gone through the experiences), and for younger workers (72% between 16 and 38 compared with 56% of 39 to 64 year-olds).

Hybrid working isn’t helping with stress. Almost half 46% said they felt more isolated working remotely. 56% were multi-tasking during virtual meetings, and 55% were checking work emails outside work hours.

“The perception that burnout is an inevitable part of career success suggests that there may be a trend of championing overwork in some UK companies,” says Asana’s Simon O’Kane. “If businesses don’t take action, they risk workers falling into a cycle of exhaustion, poor performance, and low morale.”

Stress as a drug

“Burnout should never be seen as a badge of honour,” says EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell.  “It’s bad for anyone’s health, no matter how strong they believe themselves to be. The exhaustion involved is serious and has implications in terms of work and home life — and the potential for ongoing problems with physical and mental wellbeing.

“HR should be working with their EAP provider to promote the importance of healthy attitudes to work and the importance of a balance in people’s lives. Stress at ordinary levels is a good thing for motivation and for the pay-off in terms of a sense of achievement and overcoming problems.

“In this way, sometimes stress can be a kind of drug, encouraging overworking and risk-taking. But employees have to be able to recognise when the stress is getting unhealthy for them, be able to talk about it openly with their manager and peers, and know when and how to get professional support from an EAP before there’s a collapse.”