What is burnout?

Burnout is a global problem and its prevalence has only increased since the pandemic. It wasn’t until 2019 that burnout was officially recognized by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a workplace problem, but it’s been a workplace issue for decades.

Employees working in all industries are feeling the burn including those at a worksite and others working remotely.  Those with burnout can feel tired, stressed, and unsatisfied with their work life.  Burnout can lead to a drop in productivity and negatively impact health and our personal lives.

There are many reasons why burnout can happen, with some of the most common causes being job stress, a lack of proper downtime inside and outside of the workplace, and a lack of social support.

It’s important to educate yourself as an employee or an employer on the impacts of burnout and how you can tackle it in the workplace. Doing so will reduce the risk of you or those around you feeling burnt out. Symptoms of burnout can include:

• Feeling tired and drained
• Feeling helpless or defeated.
• Feeling detached and alone
• Having a negative outlook on work or life as a whole
• Feeling unmotivated to do anything
• Taking longer to complete tasks
• Higher employee absence
• Employees missing deadlines that they'd usually be able to reach