Since 2020, our attitudes and approaches towards work have shifted, with many more people working from home and flexible working becoming more popular. Whilst working from home can put more trust in employees to be productive, it can also place pressure on staff to overwork and not know when to switch off.

90% of workers reported stress last year

According to Mental Health UK, a whopping 90% of workers in the UK reported feeling stressed in the past year alone (2024). It appears this issue is not UK exclusive, however, as a further report found that 43% of people from around 100 countries reported experiencing workplace burnout. The same report found that burnout rose 39% from 2019 to 2020. Burnout syndrome accounts for 8% of all occupational illness cases across different countries. The top three causes of employee burnout are reported as increased workload, mental health challenges and pressure to meet deadlines.

Gen Z are suffering most with burnout

When looking at the people most affected by burnout, it appears that the youngest generation of workers are being the most adversely affected. Mental Health UK reports 18-24 year olds as the age group with the highest levels of stress and being the most likely to need time off. 35% of workers in this age group reported needing time off work due to health issues, often linked to unpaid overtime (48%) and additional hours due to the cost of living (46%). Two thirds of workers in this age group reported feeling unable to switch off from work in their free time.

Over 55s were the group reporting the lowest levels of burnout, with just 10% taking time off for any health-related reason. This age group reported feeling more able to manage stress and effectively maintain work-life balance. In addition, 56% of 25-34 year olds reported increased workloads as a root cause of workplace stress and burnout.

Those with burnout and work-related stress earn less than those with good mental health

Burnout can be costly to employers, employees and the UK economy, as research shows work-related mental health issues now cost the UK economy £57.4 billion each year, nearly doubling in recent years. For employees, those with mental health problems, such as depression or anxiety, earned on average £8,400 less than people who reported no mental health problems.

Managers are ‘out of their depth’

A study by Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England found that a third of all managers felt unequipped and out of their depth when it came to dealing with staff mental health problems. 74% expressed that they were concerned over team mental health and 29% wished for additional support and training in tackling employee stress.

So what can be done?

Shane Duffy, MD of Click Offices comments: “There has been a huge shift in working patterns, business strategy and attitudes towards work in the aftermath of the pandemic. Whilst working from home has its advantages, it can lead to employees working frequent overtime and struggling to have a separation between work and home life. This coupled with increasing pressures on employees can lead to burnout.

“Managers should be scheduling regular check ins and 121s with staff to keep an eye on emerging cases of burnout. All businesses would benefit from having trained mental health first aiders onsite, who can support managers to support their teams when they may not feel they have the knowledge or skills to support mental health related issues. Having a flexible approach, adapting workloads and considering reasonable adjustments can all help employees to avoid burnout and maintain positive work-life balance”.