Burning the Candle: Strategies to Combat Workplace Burnout

Not all stress is equal. In fact, a little bit of stress in the workplace is beneficial to all of us, boosting our ability to forge ahead, and aiding in the generation of novel ideas. However, chronic and persistent stress that hasn’t been managed can easily lead to burnout. In fact, in May 2019, “burnout” was added to the World Health Organization’s ICD-11 as an official diagnosis.

With the state of the world in pandemic, the risk for workplace burnout has risen significantly. Burned out employees aren’t difficult to identify. Exhaustion, cynicism, reduced professional efficacy, and absenteeism are the most common symptoms.

The “rise and grind culture” in the United States ignores workplace mental health. Unyielding dedication and long, strenuous hours are seen as the foundation for success— but at what cost?

Burnout is detrimental to both employer and employee:

• It leads to decreased productivity and poor work culture.

• Burned out employees are more likely to take sick leave or look for another job, which increases turnover, creating new costs to hire and onboard fresh talent.

Robert Walters surveyed major US tech and financial services hubs before the pandemic and found that over three quarters (82%) of professionals had suffered from workplace burnout in the past. At the time of the survey, 28% of professionals were currently suffering from workplace burnout— a dismal number, that has certainly increased under the stress of COVID-19.

We've partnered with top industry thought leaders from startups Range, Calm, Envoy, and more, to produce an ebook identifying actionable steps businesses can take to prevent workplace burnout in their employees.