Jordan was a high-performing project manager at a mid-sized tech company. He had built a reputation over the years for delivering results, mentoring junior staff, and handling complex projects with grace.
For years, Jordan worked long hours, skipped vacations, and rarely said no to new tasks. Leadership praised the dedication — but over time, things started slipping.
At first, Jordan began missing small deadlines and had a few unanswered emails. For most people, this may not have been a big deal – but it was uncharacteristic of Jordan. In meetings, his usual energy and input were replaced by silence. Jordan’s colleagues noticed a new level of irritability, forgetfulness, and emotional distance — clear signs of mental distance from his work and team, and a reflection of the emotional exhaustion he was experiencing.
During team lunches, Jordan would grab his food and head immediately back to his desk without interacting, which impacted his relationships with coworkers. Soon he stopped attending team lunches altogether and started calling in sick more often than normal, a pattern of increased absenteeism that is common with burnout.
Eventually, a critical client project fell apart — not because Jordan lacked the skill, but because he was too mentally and physically drained to manage it. After a tearful 1-on-1 with HR, Jordan took a leave of absence, feeling overwhelmed by his workload and responsibilities, unsupported, and all too replaceable.
Recognizing employee burnout signs early is crucial to prevent situations like Jordan’s from escalating. But first, let’s back up to explain what burnout is.
Burnout is more than just feeling tired after a long week—it’s a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion that results from chronic workplace stress that hasn’t been successfully managed. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes burnout as an occupational phenomenon, highlighting its serious impact on both individuals and organizations.
When burnout takes hold, it can lead to decreased productivity, poor performance, and a negative impact on both mental and physical health. For employers, the consequences are significant: increased turnover, lower productivity, and a workforce struggling with mental health challenges. That’s why it’s essential for organizations to prioritize employee wellness and take proactive steps to prevent employee burnout before it can quickly lead to more serious issues for both employees and businesses as a whole.
Jordan’s story illustrates a harsh truth: burnout is both a personal struggle and a costly organizational risk. Unfortunately, it's more common than you think; Mercer’s 2024 Global Talent Trends Report says that 82% of employees feel at risk of burnout.
If you have an employee starting to feel job burnout, your company may be directly impacted by productivity losses, poor team morale, knowledge loss, financial costs, and reputation damage.
This may include anything from missed deadlines and stalls in momentum to stagnation and then bursts of job stress in the workflow. When employees were asked in the Mercer 2024 Report about what was keeping them from achieving high productivity, 57% said they were working longer hours than they ever had before. They specifically called out too much busy work, too many interruptions, ineffective org structure, and unsustainable workloads as productivity drains – all of which drive burnout.
Source: mercer.com
Beyond the disruption and stress in the workflow, one employees’ burnout may signal danger to others, which may increase anxiety across the team.
When burnout leads to an employee leaving, you lose a seasoned employee who has years of company knowledge, project insight, client relationships, and leadership ability.
To compensate for being short-handed after an employee exits or needs a leave of absence, you may need to hire a temporary replacement or rapidly cross-train staff who then may need to work overtime to keep pace. Of course, this threatens more employees with feelings of being burned out, making the cycle repeat itself.
If clients were the victims of delayed deliverables and/or miscommunications, you may need to nurture and repair their loss of trust in your company.
Understanding what puts employees at risk for burnout is key to prevention. Burnout risk increases when employees face excessive workloads, lack control over their job responsibilities, or work in a poor workplace culture where recognition and rewards are scarce.
Long hours, high-stress jobs, and unresolved conflicts with managers or coworkers can all contribute to employees feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Employees who are not engaged in their work, feel unsupported, or experience monotony from performing the same tasks repeatedly are especially vulnerable to experiencing burnout.
Even when workplace burnout is expected due to the nature of the job, there are simple ways to minimize problems and increase employee engagement.
By taking a proactive approach, you can avoid employee burnout before it becomes a problem. The key to your success is awareness. Recognizing the typical signs of burnout early—such as changes in behavior or performance—can make a significant difference. Pay close attention to employees who display any of these red flags:
Unaddressed burnout can also lead to mental illness, including anxiety, depression, and other psychological challenges.
Tackling employee burnout is not a one-size-fits-all task — it calls for thoughtful structural shifts, ongoing support, and individualized care. Addressing burnout proactively by involving leadership, providing resources, and encouraging healthy work-life boundaries is essential to prevent escalation.
By intervening early and supporting employees, you play a crucial role in preventing burnout and promoting long-term well-being.
In a perfect scenario, your company will avoid burning out staff with proactive strategies that enhance self-esteem and empower your employees. By focusing on the positive approaches outlined below for employee wellbeing and personal development, you will minimize burnout and retain top talent.
Employees should work to live, not live to work. Limit after-hours communication to truly pressing matters. When possible, schedule your messages to send during work hours to prevent employees from thinking about a project during their off time. To make it top-of-mind, let your staff know you intentionally scheduled the message to be sent later so they could unplug after hours.
If your company can provide and support flexibility, offer employees adaptable work hours and remote options. Encourage time off and avoid pinging them with work problems while they are away. Fully recharging requires disconnecting!
Regularly ensure that tasks are reasonable and manageable and that your expectations are realistic. Whenever possible, be sure responsibilities are equitably distributed among team members.
If your employees’ normal workday has a long list of to-do items, help them identify and prioritize the high-impact tasks. When your team is stretched thin, bring in extra support – even if it’s just temporary.
Create a safe space for employees to voice stress or burnout concerns. Bring up their well-being in your regular 1-on-1 meetings where you openly discuss stress and mental health needs. Share mental health resources, counseling services, and encourage employees to take mental health days.
Train managers and supervisors with skills to recognize early signs of burnout, what to do when they have an employee of concern, and how to connect employees with supportive resources.
Keeping employees engaged is one of the most effective ways to prevent burnout in the workplace. When employees are truly engaged, they feel empowered, motivated, and connected to their job and the organization’s mission.
Develop opportunities for learning and advancement to re-energize and boost engagement. Upskilling and growth opportunities will foster learning new skills, which will help prevent stagnation and maintain motivation.
Make it a habit to express appreciation for your employees’ efforts and dedication. Be sure to celebrate wins – big or small – with regular recognition efforts. This will help build morale and boost motivation.
If you do not already offer one, introduce a wellness program that includes activities like meditation, yoga, or fitness sessions that can be done online or in person. Consider having competitions or incentives for meeting wellness goals, either as a team or individually.
During the workday, encourage micro-breaks such as stretching or quick walks. These help employees reset and reduce stress. Provide workspaces that are ergonomic, healthy, and conducive to productivity. While clutter affects people differently, encourage employees to maintain clean workspaces to help them and others feel energy from a tidy workspace.
To support mental health, provide access to tools and guidance for mental health issues. Check to see if your insurance offers an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to support employees. By making mental health resources readily available, you can create a work environment that supports well-being and helps prevent burnout before it starts.
An EAP offers confidential counseling, support, and resources to help employees manage stress, anxiety, and other personal or work-related issues. When employees know they have access to this kind of support, they are more likely to seek help early, which reduces the risk of burnout.
Before you choose to implement an initiative, find out whether the program meets your employees’ needs. Gather input from employees through surveys and/or 1-on-1 check-ins to understand what motivates them and how they feel about the initiatives you have already implemented.
From there, you need to act on their feedback to make changes or communicate why their suggestions could not be implemented. Demonstrate that their input leads to tangible change, which reinforces trust.
Keep in mind that some employees may have higher sensitivity to constructive feedback, which can cause them to react more defensively or become more emotionally affected if perceived as criticism. Consider this when implementing changes and communicating responses.
When communicating with employees, be transparent and direct. If you ignore a problem in hopes that it will go away, other employees may feel stressed, anxious, or frustrated. Talk openly to your team the way you want employees to talk with you.
Whenever possible, be flexible with deadlines, schedules, and meetings. This will show your team that you care and have a people-first approach.
Also, if you tell your employees they need a vacation but then you never take one yourself, they may catch the non-verbal cue that the most dedicated employees never take a break. Make vacations a casual conversation piece and be excited for their upcoming trip. This will help demonstrate how important time away is.
While remote work offers flexibility, it also brings unique challenges that can increase the risk of burnout. Without regular face-to-face interaction, remote employees may experience social isolation, blurred boundaries between work and personal life, and difficulty disconnecting from job responsibilities.
You can support your remote staff by scheduling regular check-ins, encouraging open communication, and reminding employees to prioritize self-care. Offering flexible work arrangements, such as adjustable hours or telecommuting options, can help remote workers achieve a better work-life balance.
Burnout is not a badge of hard work — it’s a red flag. For businesses to succeed long-term, they must create a culture where sustainable performance is valued more than short-term overachievement.
Chances are you have employees feeling burned out right now. Take time to educate your managers on identifying signs of burnout and make a plan for proactively recharging and retaining them. For help or resources, please contact your certified HR expert.
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Sources:
shrm.org
forbes.com
who.int
mercer.com