Burnout threatens more than a quarter of employees

A new international study on employee mental health has revealed an alarming situation: 27 percent of employees are at high risk of burnout.

In the news: A study has come to worrying conclusions about the mental health of employees.

• The survey was conducted by Workday, a provider of solutions that help organizations manage their people and capital. The company surveyed 2.6 million employees in more than 850 companies and 12 business sectors around the world, including Belgium.
• The report – consulted by our colleagues at Le Soir – shows that all pay grades are at risk of burnout, but at different levels.
  • So, in organizations with a high risk of overload, managers are more likely to be burned out than in companies with a low risk: 33 percent versus 15 percent. And this workload clearly has consequences for other employees: According to a Workday report, employees in organizations led by managers at high risk of burnout are 19 percent more likely to be burned out themselves.
  • In contrast, in companies with low risk of overload, employees are only 12% more likely to experience burnout, even if their manager’s mental health and overall well-being are poor.

More and more Belgians are suffering from burnout.

I noticed: The most worrying part of all this is that the trend in Belgium is upward.

• “Our study shows that the risk of burnout continues to increase,” confirms Doreen Ross, Director of Workday Belux in Qatar. “This finding is in line with recent findings by IDEWE (External Service for Prevention and Protection at Work, ed.) which reveals that in 2023 Belgian workers were more at risk of burnout than in 2022, and that since 2014, the number of employees suffering from high rates of burnout and increased levels of discomfort has increased by 40%.
• However, the situation can improve significantly and this will be beneficial for both workers and companies. “Promoting employee health and well-being not only reduces absenteeism and employee turnover, but also boosts productivity and helps attract and retain highly qualified talent.”

male: However, Workday stresses that the situation is not necessarily due to companies not caring about the mental health and well-being of their employees. Many leaders simply don’t realize the risks they face because they don’t have a consistent way to assess their employees’ feelings.

• Companies can – and should – take measures to assess the mental health and well-being of employees, not only to reduce absenteeism, but also to increase their attractiveness, while boosting productivity and employee loyalty.

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