Over half of US workers report burnout
Over half (55%) of US workers are experiencing burnout, according to a report from Eagle Hill Consulting. The survey, which was conducted by Ipsos in November, polled 1,400 employees in the US.
The elevated levels of reported burnout arrive as workers head into the stressful holiday season, where workloads tend to spike and customer volume and expectations climb.
“If employees are already burned out before the busy season begins, leaders should expect even deeper performance challenges unless they intervene,” said Melissa Jezior, president and chief executive officer of Eagle Hill, which provides advisory services in organizational performance, talent, and change management, among other areas.
Burnout can be a severe inhibitor for organizational performance, reducing employee efficiency and boosting turnover. Over 70% of respondents say burnout diminishes their efficiency and hurts their overall job performance, while over 50% say it impact attendance.
Burned-out employees are also nearly three times as likely to have plans to leave their employer in the coming year.
Younger workers are more affected by burnout, with Gen Z at 66% and millennials at 58%, followed by Gen X (53%) and boomers (37%).
“Burnout isn’t an employee experience issue, it’s a performance, customer service, and retention issue,” Jezior said. “Leaders are wise to really dig in and understand the root causes of burnout specific to their organization. Implementing pragmatic strategies will enable employees to optimally perform their job functions, which ultimately drives organization-wide performance.”
Many burned-out workers struggle with a deficit of employer support. Only 42% of burned-out workers brought their issue to managers, and of those who did, 42% reported their manager took no action on their behalf.
