About Workplace Burnout
Workplace burnout is becoming increasingly common. A recent survey by Statistics Canada showed that at least 20% of the employed population is experiencing “high or very high levels of work-related stress”.
What is workplace burnout?
Workplace burnout is a type of emotional exhaustion that has a serious impact on employee wellbeing. The World Health Organization classifies employee burnout as a “syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”
The 3 main symptoms of workplace burnout are:
Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion.
Increased mental distance from one’s job or feeling negative towards one’s career.
Reduced professional productivity.
Employee burnout leads to lower levels of confidence in teams and diminished employee engagement, which can have a negative impact on job satisfaction, employee retention, customer relationships, and overall success.
Workplace burnout affects women tremendously (more than men)
32% of women are consistently burned out at work.
More than 50% of women in leadership positions consistently feel burned out.
47% of working mothers are often burned out.
How does workplace burnout impact employers?
7.5% of employees have had to skip work because of stress or other mental health reasons.
In total, 2.4 days were lost on average among the working population over the past year.
About 30% of short- and long-term disability claims in Canada are attributed to mental health problems and illnesses.
The total cost from mental health problems to the Canadian economy exceeds $50 billion annually.
In 2011, mental health problems and illnesses among working adults in Canada cost employers more than $6 billion in lost productivity from absenteeism and turnover.
Employees struggling with burnout are 63% more likely to take a sick day.
What can employers do about workplace burnout?
Support and sponsor programs, workshops, training, and coaching that provide employees with tools, strategies, and resources that help in reducing burnout, stress, and anxiety.
Create a culture that supports wellbeing through policies that help reduce work stress.
One study found when companies took steps to support employee health and wellbeing, they realized a 5% increase in productivity – equal to one day per month of additional output.
36% of workers state that their organizations have nothing in place to help stave off employee burnout – choose to be an organization that supports employee wellbeing!
Resources/Further Reading:
16 Employee Burnout Statistics You Can’t Ignore: https://everyonesocial.com/blog/employee-burnout-statistics/
Important Burnout Stats 2023 [Trends and Facts to Know]: https://thrivemyway.com/burnout-stats/
Burn-out an "occupational phenomenon": International Classification of Diseases: https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases
Pressure at work? Report says these are the most stressful jobs in Canada: https://globalnews.ca/news/9780384/canada-work-stress-statcan-survey/
Workplace Mental Health: https://mentalhealthcommission.ca/what-we-do/workplace/
Work-related stress most often caused by heavy workloads and work-life balance: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/230619/dq230619c-eng.htm
Why investing in mental health will contribute to Canada’s economic prosperity and to the sustainability of our health care system: https://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/wp-content/uploads/drupal/MHStrategy_CaseForInvestment_ENG_0_1.pdf
The Business Benefits of Employee Well-Being: https://www.newsweek.com/business-benefits-employee-well-being-1817363
Workplace Stress (Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety): https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/psychosocial/stress.html
5 Common Causes of Stress in Women and How to Help Manage Them: https://balancingmidlife.com/common-causes-of-stress/
Mental Health Statistics for Canadians: https://madeinca.ca/mental-health-statistics-canada/
Ready to help your women employees improve their wellness, engagement, and productivity? Start here.