Survey Finds Majority of Workers Still Fighting the Burnout Battle

The burnout battle rages on in the American workplace, according to new research from Eagle Hill Consulting.

In a recent survey of more than 1,400 U.S. workers, more than half of respondents (55%) said they are experiencing burnout, and the implications are far-reaching. For example:

• 72% of respondents said that burnout diminishes their efficiency
• 71% report that burnout is hurting their overall job performance
• 65% said burnout weakens their ability to serve customers
• 64% said they believe that burnout reduces their ability to innovate
• 56% said it impacts work attendance

In addition to threatening organizational performance, efficiency, innovation and customer service, burnout issues are also driving turnover, according to Eagle Hill Consulting. For example, employees who are dealing with burnout were nearly three times more likely to say they plan to leave their employer in the coming year.

The poll also saw burnout affecting younger workers disproportionately. For instance, 66% of Gen Z-age respondents indicated they were experiencing burnout, with 58% of Millennials saying the same, followed by Gen X (53%) and Baby Boomers (37%). Burnout rates were also high among fully remote workers (61%) and hybrid employees (57%).

Overall, employees attribute their weariness with work to the work itself (50%), including their workloads and the type of tasks they’re performing. An equal number cited the “people aspect of work,” such as collaboration, relationships and team dynamics.

Calling the findings “a wake-up call for employers,” Eagle Hill Consulting President and CEO Melissa Jezior said in a statement that burnout is not an employee experience issue, but a performance, customer service and retention issue.

Jezior also advised organizational leaders to “really dig in and understand the root causes of burnout specific to their organizations.

“Implementing pragmatic strategies will enable employees to optimally perform their job functions,” she continued, “which ultimately drives organization-wide performance.”