Today’s professionals are under constant pressure to improve their efficiency as the pace of business accelerates. Burnout is a common thing as workers try to multitask across several platforms and communication channels, often simultaneously, amid personal challenges such as caregiving and in-office politics. Notably, burnout symptoms differ, depending on whether employees work from home (WFH) or have been subject to return to office (RTO) mandates.
“Burnout differs between settings and how an employee is working,” says Nicole Issa, founder and licensed psychologist at The Center for Dynamic and Behavioral Therapy. “Remote workers can experience burnout due to a lack of work-life boundaries, social isolation and the pressure to be constantly available via tech. Office-based employees often struggle with long commutes, loss of autonomy, and workplace stressors such as micromanagement or rigid schedules. Both environments become a perfect storm for burnout, but the triggers do differ.”
Justina Raskauskiene, human resource team lead at ecommerce marketing platform Omnisend, agrees.
“How burnout manifests depends on the work environment,” says Raskauskiene. “Remote workers often risk blurring the lines between work and personal life, feeling like they [must] always be ‘on’, or unable to distance themselves from work. All of this makes it more likely they’ll work overtime. Plus, it’s no secret that fewer in-person interactions often equal poorer emotional well-being. In-office employees, on the other hand, may struggle with burnout due to a demanding company culture, excessive workloads or even the stress of a mandatory RTO policy. Reduced flexibility always carries the risk of contributing to employees’ stress and dissatisfaction.”
Many employees are now in the “sandwich generation” — caregiving for children, parents or both.
“As our population ages, more and more employees will become caregivers. This isn’t just a personal crisis; it’s a ticking time bomb for our economy,” says Jennifer Fink, community educator at Alzheimer’s Association. “Seventy three percent of employees have some sort of caregiving responsibilities. Employees with caregiving responsibilities cost their employers an estimated 8% –- an additional $13.4 billion per year! By creating a caregiving-friendly workplace, organizations can unlock employee potential, reduce frustration and boost their bottom lines. [C]reating a caregiving-friendly culture isn’t expensive especially when the return on the investment is considered.”
Katie Roland, chief human resources officer at KCSA Strategic Communications, says burnout occurs when employees feel they are giving more than they are getting.
“It can happen because they are actually overprogrammed and don’t feel compensated enough, or because they are working in a hostile environment and are masking all day,” says Roland. “It can be because they have responsibilities in life and at work, and they do not have the flexibility to manage both the way they feel they need to, making them feel constantly inadequate. Essentially, burnout is exhaustion.”
Many seasoned leaders are instinctively doubling down on RTO, implementing technology to oversee productivity, and demanding respect.
“What organizations need to understand is that employees who are trusted to do their job, and manage their life as needed, will produce far more for you than someone you try to control and monitor,” says Roland. “Nobody likes to be micromanaged. Instead figure out how to partner with your employees to find solutions that work on both ends.”
What HR/Hiring Managers Should Do About It
Susan Snipes, head of people at Remote People, says HR leaders need to be prepared to address burnout in all its forms for both in-office and remote team members.
“Flexibility is the word of the day! Flexibility should be incorporated into all aspects of the employee experience from benefits to policies and procedures,” says Snipes. “Benefits like hybrid work, flexible schedules, and mental health days go a long way toward preventing employee burnout.”
Nicole Issa, The Center for Dynamic and Behavioral Therapy
Nicole Issa, The Center for Dynamic and Behavioral Therapy
The Center for Dynamic and Behavioral Therapy’s Issa suggests that chief human resources officers (CHRO) and hiring managers could approach burnout as a strategic issue rather than individual failings.
“This means being proactive about identifying risk factors and offering flexibility where possible,” says Issa. “Trying to build a company culture that prioritizes well-being should be top of the list for companies now. For remote employees, organizations should set clear expectations around availability, encourage a digital detox and provide routes for social connection. For in-office workers, offering hybrid working models, focusing on meaningful in-person collaboration and ensuring workload balance is key.”
Utilizing Data Is Also Important
“Absenteeism, tardiness, lack of vacation usage, etc. all can help identify the potential issue — there may be an issue with individuals or potentially managers,” says Fran Maxwell, global lead at business consulting firm Protiviti. “If they have a robust people analytics function, they can proactively determine which employees could start to become burnt out and can work with their managers to proactively support their employees. This would include looking at time, assuming the organization tracks time, or more simply looking at vacation time accrued and taken.”
MDR provider Expel discovered that quantifying workloads creates a common language between technical teams and business leaders. According to Amy Rossi, chief people officer at Expel, the most effective solution combines data with empathy.
“Organizations need metrics to identify burnout risks objectively, but they also need leaders who understand the human elements at play,” says Amy Rossi, chief people officer at Expel. “By adapting capacity utilization formulas to track workloads, teams can turn burnout from an abstract concern into concrete data that can inform staffing, scheduling, and resource allocation decisions. This approach has revolutionized how we manage and reduce burnout across both remote and in-office settings.”
Omnisend’s Raskauskiene says HR can monitor employee sentiment and job satisfaction through surveys and by encouraging leaders to keep an eye on employees’ moods.
“Educate them how to notice early burnout signs and react appropriately,” says Raskauskiene We also encourage managers to hold regular one-on-ones, where both sides can share any struggles or concerns. Ultimately, it comes down to fostering a culture of open communication and direct feedback.”
In addition to establishing clear work hour timeframes, Omnisend promotes emotional well-being initiatives, such as offering psychological support and funding therapy.
Proviti’s Maxwell recommends that leadership model the right behaviors and ensure they demonstrate that taking time away from work is both encouraged and important. He also says organizational leaders should ensure managers are properly trained on spotting burnout signs and how to prevent and support employees that are showing symptoms. However, leaders need to be patient.
Fran Maxwell, Protiviti
Fran Maxwell, Protiviti
“Be intentional and start with leaders. Clearly articulate the expected behaviors at each level within the organization and hold each other accountable for those behaviors,” says Maxwell. “It is important to remember that it’s not going to change overnight, and people need to be communicated to, at a minimum, seven different times before the change will sync in.”
Alzheimer’s Associations’ Fink warns that caregiving is tough — a juggling act that can drain a person emotionally, physically and financially.
“When you’re constantly putting out fires for others, your own well-being often takes a backseat. Neglecting yourself hurts everyone,” says Fink. “Thirty to 40% of caregivers struggle with depression and emotional stress. They’re more likely to be in poor health, which means higher healthcare costs for your company. Taking care of your caregivers just makes sense. It’s an investment in your people that always pays off in the end.”
For WFH employees, Mike Szczesny, owner and vice president at EDCO Awards & Specialties, recommends having clear working time boundaries and promoting the need to step away from the desk for regular breaks to alleviate “always-on” fatigue. Also promote virtual activities that build up a sense of belonging in the team and align goals for a greater purpose.
For in-office employees, organizations should shift their attitudes toward working hours and consider more flexible hybrid arrangements. They should also create work environments that make people more productive while also enabling them to relax and provide reassurance to address issues concerning being present in the office for long periods of time.
He also says active internal organizational strategies for preventing burnout should include regular pulse surveys, encouraging use of mental health services, and granting employees the freedom to customize their job.
“People operations or talent acquisition leaders and all other leaders must act with compassion, candor and genuine appreciation of their employees’ actual requirements,” says Szczesny. “Applying bespoke solutions, encouraging collaboration and giving control to employees can improve resilience and productive behavior that is sustainable over the long term.”
Lisa Sterling, chief people officer at survey and people analytics company Perceptyx, says organizational leadership should be open and direct about burnout.
“Talking about the symptoms and signs openly demonstrates to people that it’s important and top of mind. Further, it is important to establish clear expectations as well as boundaries, so people know what to expect. Leaders [must] demonstrate the desired behaviors first and foremost,” says Sterling. “Create a space for individuals to lean on and receive support from one another. By fostering these relationships people can leverage each other and share their feelings and thoughts with one another which can lead to a culture of empathy and fostering a sense of belongingness.”
What Happens When Burnout Is Ignored
Ignoring burnout can be very costly to an organization, and it doesn’t always take the form of quiet quitting.
“Ignoring burnout will eventually have costly consequences for businesses when it’s not dealt with,” says The Center for Dynamic and Behavioral Therapy’s Issa. “Employees who feel unsupported will disengage, leading to quiet quitting and high turnover. The best employees are often the first to leave when they feel undervalued or overworked. This can set off a vicious cycle of higher workloads and reduced morale.”
Instead, companies should be creating a culture of psychological safety where employees feel heard and supported.
“A company’s negligence in fixing persistent burnout patterns will result in lower employee output, greater employee attrition and a lesser reputation for the firm as an employer,” says EDCO Awards & Specialties’ Szczesny. “Not addressing burnout during these times of vigorous competition for talent may translate to the loss of valuable employees to firms that take their health and wellbeing seriously.”