Burnout among the U.S. workforce remains high (45%) with employee workload the driving factor behind worker burnout, according to a survey published June 4 by Eagle Hill Consulting.
Worker burnout has dropped significantly since the early days of the pandemic (58% in August 2020) but was at 46% in February 2023 and 45% in August 20203, according to the report.
"We may have hit a wall when it comes to reducing worker burnout," Melissa Jezior, president and CEO of Eagle Hill Consulting, said in a news release shared with Becker's. "Research finds substantial burnout levels that haven't budged, and the burnout drivers have remained virtually unchanged. At the same time, workers consistently say that the burnout solution lies in offering more flexibility and addressing their workload levels."
Six key findings from the survey:
1. Workers who experience burnout say the top cause is their workload (51%), followed by staff shortages (42%) and juggling personal and professional life (41%).
2. Among those who experience burnout due to staff shortages, 83% said the impact is covering the workload for unfilled positions. Forty-six percent said the impact is helping others learn their job, 41% said it's training new hires, and 22% said it's recruiting and interviewing new hires.
3. Since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, workers have consistently reported that the following remedies would alleviate their stress: a four-day work week (69%), increased flexibility (66%), a decreased workload (63%) and working from home (56%).
4. About half of employees (56%) who report burnout say they are comfortable telling their boss.
5. Women (49%) continue to report higher levels of burnout than men (41%).
6. Younger workers continue to report the highest levels of burnout with Gen Z at 54% and Millennials at 52%.
Editor's note: Findings from the survey were conducted by market research company Ipsos from Feb. 6-9. The survey includes 1,247 respondents from a random sample of employees across the U.S. Eagle Hill conducts the polling two times a year to maintain a pulse on worker burnout.