Worker burnout hits high worse than COVID-19 peak: survey

Gianna Melillo
·3 min read

Story at a glance

  • The 42 percent of workers who reported feeling burned out marks the highest total measured since May 2021.

  • Younger employees and women were more likely to report burnout.

  • Greater workplace and schedule flexibility may help reverse the trend, results showed.

Over 40 percent of the global workforce feels burned out, according to a global survey from Future Forum carried out late last year.

The 42 percent total marks a new high since the organization began measuring worker burnout in May 2021. At that time, 38 percent of workers said they feel burned out at work.

The World Health Organization defines burnout syndrome as a combination of symptoms related to work stress. These can include feelings of exhaustion or energy depletion, negativism or cynicism related to an individual’s job, and reduced professional efficacy.

The latest survey was carried out among 10,243 full-time desk workers in the United States, Australia, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Japan in November and December 2022.

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In the United States, 41 percent of workers said they feel burned out in the latest survey, compared with 39 percent who said the same in May 2021. Those experiencing burnout are also more than three times as likely to say they plan to look for a new job in the next year.

Feelings of burnout among workers rose by 2 percent from the previous quarter, data show, while women and younger workers are significantly more likely to report burnout. Forty-six percent of women said they feel burnout, compared with 37 percent of men.

Nearly half of workers younger than 30 say they feel burned out at work, compared with 40 percent of those age 30 and older.

Employees who feel their company is lagging behind on technology, or only use technology after it becomes mainstream, are more likely to feel burnout compared with more innovative companies.

Results also show improved workplace flexibility may help combat the trend. Workers who are dissatisfied with their flexibility level are 43 percent more likely to report being burned out compared with those happy with their level of flexibility.

The overwhelming majority of respondents preferred flexibility in where and when they work, at 81 percent and 93 percent, respectively. However, 56 percent of workers say they have little to no ability to adjust hours from their present schedule, the study found.

In the United States, women, working mothers and people of color report the strongest desire for workplace and schedule flexibility.

Employees who are able to adjust where they work are also equally or more likely to feel connected to their immediate teams as fully in-office workers, data showed. These workers cite flexible work policies as the most important factor that has improved their company’s culture within the last two years.

However, executives say declining worker productivity is among their top concerns with regard to flexible work.

The majority of workers surveyed (67 percent) said they prefer a hybrid approach to working, with the option of accessing a physical space.

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