General Insights

When we refer to the Future of Work, we’re often talking about a better overall workforce experience. Certainly, a workplace that considers employee purpose, well-being, and work/life balance. In essence, the Future of Work should help prevent one of the leading causes of workforce distress and The Great Resignation — employee burnout. Indeed conducted a survey in 2021 of 1,500 U.S. workers to compare the level of burnout before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey revealed that 67% of all workers believed burnout had worsened during the pandemic. What was the primary reason behind the increase?

Despite most employees working remotely, the survey indicated that more than half (53%) worked more hours virtually than when they were on-site. According to Indeed: Nearly one-third (31%) say they are working “much more” than before the pandemic. On-site workers reported longer hours as well, with 27% who said they worked more daily, and 34% who worked longer on a weekly basis. The inability to unplug from projects, coupled with the lack of guidance surrounding work/life boundaries contributed to longer working hours.

The State of Burnout in 2023

While the Indeed survey took place in 2021, how is employee burnout faring as we begin navigating 2023? According to a recent report from Aflac “2022-2023 Aflac WorkForces Report,” more than half (59%) of American workers are experiencing at least moderate levels of burnout, a notable increase over 2021 (52%) and on par with the levels reported in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aflac surveyed 1,200 employers and 2,001 employees. Survey responses indicated the following:

• Employees who suffer from high levels of burnout report lower job satisfaction (55%)
• Lower confidence that their employers care about them (47%)
• Negative perceptions of work-life balance (55%)
• A higher likelihood of seeking another job in the next year (56%).

Matthew Owenby, chief human resources officer for Aflac Incorporated, stated, “A major concern of employee burnout is the impact on their well-being and how it affects engagement and retention. Employers are looking for new ways to offer benefits that help improve their employees’ mental health balance,” he said.

Knowing the signs of employee burnout is critical to prevent retention issues. In its “A Manager’s Guide to Preventing Employee Burnout,” Lyra identifies 8 signs of employee burnout that managers and executive leadership should be aware of as they interact with employees.

• Exhaustion or feeling overwhelmed
• Physical symptoms such as chronic headache or fatigue
• Anger or irritability
• Distancing themselves from their work
• Nervousness or feeling uncertain
• Low motivation
• Sadness
• Difficulty concentrating

Strategies to Extinguish Burnout

When managers witness the above signs in an employee, it is empathy more than anything else that he or she needs. Acknowledging how work can be overwhelming at times and how as a manager those same feelings exist establishes a common ground by which to probe further.

Here are four strategies to bring employee burnout to the forefront in the enterprise and address it with compassion, understanding, and well-being in mind.

Address employee burnout directly. Often, the best way to come to terms with an issue, is to address it head on. During an interview with CNBC, Jennifer Moss, author of “The Burnout Epidemic: The Rise of Chronic Stress and How We Can Fix It,” spent time with CNBC’s Workforce Executive Council.

She views employee burnout as a mental health issue. And one that needs the support of management to promote trust, safety, and prioritization of mental health toward employees. Managers need to dedicate 15 minutes every week with their direct reports to assess how they’re feeling and where their mental pain points exist.

Moss says the following key questions can help managers better understand the mental well-being of their employees and devise solutions to address existing issues.

• How was this week?
• What were the highs and lows?
• What can I do for you next week to make things easier?
• What can we do for each other?

Flexible scheduling and time off pay dividends. One of the major workplace outcomes from the pandemic is the concept of flexible scheduling. Many remote workers realized they were more productive during specific hours of the day. Depending on the role, companies enabled employees to choose hours that better reflected availability and higher productivity.

Similarly, time off to rebalance, recharge, and reboot cannot be underestimated. Taking time off, even for a three-day weekend, is crucial to mental health and emotional well-being. However, managers (and even executive leadership) must model these behaviors. Unless a manager actively communicates, encourages, and sets the example for taking time off, employees will remain hesitant to pursue mental health days or PTO.

Work/life balance remains critical. The Indeed survey revealed that approximately “70% of all respondents have access to work communications on their phones — making them 84% more likely to work after hours.” How does this promote work/life balance? Employees are never truly taking PTO or enjoying off hours if they’re always connected to the office. However, some employees, particularly those in management positions, believe the company is unable to function without being tethered to it.

Work/life balance is about establishing priorities outside of work and living life off the corporate grid. Whether it’s taking vacation or going for a 30-minute walk to recharge, employers must encourage and model this Future of Work tenet to curb employee burnout.

Employee perks resonate with workers. What is the benefit of working for an organization? While compensation remains high on the list, it is benefits (including perks) that strike a chord with employees. Access to mental health professionals, days off beyond holidays, casual dress code, flexible scheduling, and other perks are helping with employee balance. The commitment to such perks is often reflected in an enterprise’s overall culture.

A strong enterprise culture with employee success and well-being in mind, will seek feedback to choose perks that appeal to most workers. Organizations should also consider activities (e.g., sports, cultural, community service, etc.) that occur outside of work but bring employees together regardless of business unit.

Regardless of whether your team is remote, hybrid, or permanently on-site, managers should be gauging employee burnout. While difficult to quantify, employee burnout does have detrimental impacts on the bottom line. However, that shouldn’t be the primary focus or reason to monitor workforce well-being. It must be an effort that involves every level of the organization. When communicated and acted upon, mental wellness becomes the responsibility of everyone and is ingrained in the fabric of the culture.