Burnout is unprecedented. Here’s what employers can do.

Dive Brief:

• Fears of economic downturn and day-to-day stressors have caused more than two-thirds of employees (69%) to experience burnout this year, according to isolved’s annual year-end survey, “Pause, Pivot or Plan: HR Trends of 2023.” The rate is unprecedented, isolved said, and it’s affecting job performance: 45% of respondents say they’re not as enthusiastic as they should be, and 26% aren’t performing beyond their required responsibilities.
• Although the trend is worrisome, it creates a critical opening for employers to: 1) Nurture peer relationships, because 32% of full-time employees say their relationships with co-workers is what they like most about their current job; 2) Map career opportunities, as nearly two-thirds (59%) of respondents feel employers do a poor or average job of advancing their career; and 3) Pay market value, which is the top way employers can improve company culture, followed by pay transparency and improving internal communications, isolved pointed out in a media release.
• “Data shows employees are more anxious, burnt-out and financial security-driven than ever,” James Norwood, isolved’s chief strategy officer, stated in the release. “To combat these concerns, HR departments of all sizes must evaluate what they can automate and gain efficiencies in, enhance what they can to improve employee experience and extend the impact of their team.” Nearly 1,000 full-time U.S. employees participated in the survey, isolved said.

Dive Insight:

The U.S. may not officially be in a recession, but workers are responding as if it were. Nearly two-thirds (61%) of those who responded to a report released Nov. 29 by Insight Global said they’d be willing to take a pay cut to avoid being laid off.

Employers are making similar assumptions, according to recent reports: 62% of workers who answered a survey by the American Staffing Association and The Harris Poll said they either witnessed employers taking cost-cutting measures or heard employers talk about a potential recession, HR Dive reported. But such actions can exacerbate burnout: 58% of the respondents said they’re thinking about getting a second job in 2023. Among them, 72% of Generation Zers were considering a side job, compared to 67% of millennials.

Employers should be aware that depending on the industry, job or personal preference, different circumstances can contribute to burnout, according to a recent Gallup report. For example, 59% of production and front-line workers identified themselves as “splitters,” meaning they prefer a 9-to-5 job in which work and life are separated. By contrast, 54% of healthcare and social assistance workers said they were “blenders,” preferring a job that allows them to blend work and life throughout the day.

Hybrid and remote workers are split: 60% prefer blending, while 40% still prefer splitting their time between work and life, the report found. “The reality is that both types of employees can be highly engaged and productive,” Jim Harter, a Gallup chief scientist explained in an analysis of the data. “But not knowing which is which could lead to lower engagement, feelings of disrespect and more burnout for all,” he said.

DEI initiatives also play a critical role in preventing burnout, a December research overview from Gallup found. Employees who reported feeling discriminated against in the previous 12 months were more than twice as likely to report high levels of burnout, according to the report. Access is key, as well. Black employees who feel strongly that they have the same opportunities for advancement as other employees are 55% less likely to report feeling burnt out on a regular basis, researchers said.

“Everyone wants to feel like they are part of their organization — that they matter and belong,” the researchers explained. Employees who report feeling like a valued member of their team are 57% less likely to experience burnout, they said.