Burnout statistics: what are the latest numbers revealing?

In recent years, organizations’ main focus was coping with the COVID-19 crisis. However, another important issue has been negatively impacting companies: mental health in the workplace. While it has been a concern long before the pandemic, there is an increasing need to tackle this issue. Burnout statistics provide us with information about what drives this phenomenon, the  effects it has, and possible solutions to overcome it. More than half of Millennials experience emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and cynicism. This is obviously a serious issue for businesses. Not only does it affect the productivity and wellbeing of employees but it also impacts nearly 50% of company turnover. So what are the latest numbers explaining  depression at work? From its causes to its consequences and statistics by profession, we gathered the most accurate figures you should know about.

The 4 main causes of poor mental health in the workplace

Leadership

As we often mention in our articles, leadership strongly impacts your workforce’s wellbeing and performance which then directly influences the success of your organization. According to a study from Deloitte, 31% of employees declare not feeling supported and recognized by their managers. Moreover, only 20% get motivation from their leader. 

Workload

Do your team members often complain about feeling overloaded with work? Can they do their job properly without feeling time pressure? Do they have the right working tools available to perform in the best conditions? Overly ambitious deadlines and results also play a major role in harming  mental health in the workplace. 30% of employees feel pressured and anxious about achieving their tasks because of unrealistic deadlines and goals.

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Lack of flexibility

If you haven’t switched to a more flexible working model yet, it is time to introduce it into your strategy. 50% of workers are ready to leave their jobs if their organization doesn’t allow for more flexibility in the workplace, as they are longing for better work-life balance From flexitime to hybrid work, there are endless options to help match your employees’ expectations. In fact, 53% of the workforce consider flexibility key to preventing symptoms of workplace burnout.

Remote work practices

However, remote working requires some leadership adjustments. While working from home has  many advantages, it can also have negative effects if clear rules are not set. Here are a few examples and key statistics that highlight this issue:

• 45% of the team members end up working more hours than on-site;
• 67% of remote workers feel pressured to be available all the time;
• 70% of home-office employees work on weekends.

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Key burnout statistics about the consequences of this phenomenon

Have you noticed a decrease in your employees’ performance? This can be a sign of work depression as 91% of workers affirm that burnout negatively affects their abilities. While employee happiness has a tremendous influence on productivity and engagement, burnout can have the opposite effect. Studies show that the engagement rate of burnt out employees drops by 43% and their sense of purpose also drops by 27%.

Are your employees sending in sick notes often or are you regularly absent? Connection to the workplace and to other colleagues can be critically impacted by poor mental health. It can then affect the overall success of an organization and it can particularly increase absenteeism. What are the statistics saying? Employees struggling with work depression are 63% more likely to take a sick day than happy workers and 83% of their personal relationships are affected.

Another consequence of burnout is low employee retention. The first step when feeling the symptoms of burnout might be to request some time off or ask for sick days. However, 50% of depressed workers take it a step further and tend to look for a new job. According to HR managers, 46% of annual turnover comes from workplace burnout.

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The industries the most affected by burnout

The hospitality and service sectors are often mentioned when talking about employee burnout. Nevertheless, work depression concerns all professions.  Many factors can affect the mental health of your workers including chronic stress, workload, recognition, management type, workplace connection, support, etc. Consequently, team members can be passionate about their job and still experience burnout. Nevertheless, the numbers show that some industries are more likely to have depressed employees than others. For instance, the amount of burnout among social workers goes up to 75% and tends to be higher than in other sectors. To have a clearer understanding of burnout by profession, here are the latest statistics: 

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Surprising burnout statistics every business should know about

How many people have already experienced burnout in their lives? The average number of employees going through work burnout is around 70%. This figure is alarming and shows how fundamental mental health at work is. However, 69% of workers don‘t feel their employer does enough to prevent work depression and 49% of companies still don’t have a proper strategy for employee wellbeing.

Moreover, most businesses now have a multigenerational workforce with Millennials (people born between 1981 and 1996, also called Gen Y) representing the biggest demographic group in the workplace. Having generational diversity in the workplace is a major advantage. Yet, burnout statistics indicate that younger generations tend to be more professionally depressed than Baby Boomers. 59% of Gen Y have already experienced burnout while only 31% of Baby Boomers have. As far as the youngest generation is concerned, Gen Z is considered the fastest generation to show signs and symptoms of burnout.

Can a higher income help prevent the mental health crisis in the workplace? It is not a relevant solution for organizations. In fact, studies reveal that there is only a 6% difference between team members earning $100K and those making $30K when it comes to burnout. Another surprising number is the correlation between performing a job with passion and work depression. It is easy to assume that people who do a  job they enjoy are less prone to burnout. Unfortunately, this isn’t true. 60% of employees that are passionate about their work still experience this issue. Why? As mentioned, the key factors of burnout are mainly related to workload, chronic anxiety, leadership, and work-life balance. Being passionate is not always enough to feel happy and satisfied at your job.

You now have a full overview of the most important and latest burnout statistics. These numbers have increased since COVID-19 and mental health in the workplace becomes a fundamental matter for all companies worldwide. To help you introduce more flexibility in your work environment, deskbird provides you with the best hybrid work solution.

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