Research By Eagle Hill Consulting Finds Employee Burnout High But Declining

FREMONT, CA: "It's encouraging to see that worker stress is dipping, but the high burnout levels remain troubling," said Melissa Jezior, president and chief executive officer of Eagle Hill Consulting. "On the heels of Labor Day, it's important for employers to assess the state of their workforce. Employers need workers at the top of their game, and they need employees to stay on the job in this tight labor market. When employees are exhausted, stressed, or feel like they can't perform they're likely to walk out the door."

In the United States, nearly half of employees (49 percent) report that they suffer from burnout because of their work. The burnout level has remained stable since earlier this year, but it has been on the decline since the early months of the pandemic began (58 percent in August 2020), which has been stable from earlier this year. There is a higher level of burnout reported by young workers (53 percent) and women (54 percent) compared to older workers. According to a recent study, workers believe their workload is the most significant cause of burnout (48 percent), followed by staffing shortages (45 percent). Three-quarters of workers say that they would be less stressed and more productive if they had a four-day work week (72 percent), followed by increased flexibility (69 percent).

Ipsos conducted a workforce survey on behalf of Eagle Hill Consulting from August 11-16, 2022, to gather these findings. Approximately 1000 employees from a random sample of employees across the United States responded to a survey by Eagle Hill Consulting for its Workforce Burnout Survey for 2022. In a survey, respondents talked about burnout and vacation time.

"Workers tell us that there are concrete steps employers can take to alleviate burnout – from increased scheduling flexibility to better health and wellness benefits. Employers are wise to really understand the specific burnout levels and triggers among their workforce, along with the actions they can take to address the problem. Our research indicates that employees are comfortable telling their employer they are feeling burned out, so initiating that conversation is the first place to start." Jezior explained.

According to the survey, the following are the key findings:

Employees said staff shortages cover 86 percent of their workload, 42 percent said it helps others learn their job, 37 percent said it trains new hires, and 24 percent said it recruits and interviews new hires. Sixty-two percent of employees report burnout to their employers or managers. A lack of communication and support, lack of support from colleagues, and time pressures are among the biggest causes of burnout (48 percent).

72 percent of respondents said a four-day workweek would help reduce burnout. Work from home (61 percent), improved health and wellness (62 percent), decreased workloads (64 percent), increased flexibility (69 percent), less administrative burdens (55 percent), and more amenities on-site (53 percent) were also suggested.

The research also indicates that the Great Resignation is lingering, with more than one-third of the workforce planning to leave within the next 12 months, up from 34 percent in April 2022. Younger workers are even more likely to leave (46 percent), followed by mid-career workers (37 percent), and older workers (23 percent).