Tired Isn’t the Word! Top Employee Burnout Statistics in 2022

The past few years following the pandemic opened our eyes to how we can combat employee burnout by evolving the employee experience.

However, with trends like Quiet Quitting and tech companies going fully remote, 2022 taught us that workplace stress and job dissatisfaction still impact workers. In response, organizations are continuing to evaluate their work culture, increase benefits, and get competitive.

“You have to be proactive. You have to have a pulse on what’s going on. Are our benefits competitive? What are other companies doing?” asks Mark Gannon, Executive Vice President of Talent Management and Recruiting Services at TekStream Solutions.

Workplace leaders who do it right see better employee retention rates, professional efficacy, and productivity— not to mention fewer signs of burnout. For Mark at TekStream, asking the right questions and keeping on top of sentiment has led to results, from landing on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America seven years in a row and boasting an average 97% Customer Retention Rate.

Investing in your people isn’t just a workplace trend. If 2022 taught us anything, it’s that diminishing the risk of burnout means expanding how we approach our employee experience.

“What am I doing to make sure my people want to be here and want to be part of this environment?” Mark said. “Make sure your people are happy and aligned with the organization’s goals.”

As we prepare for the upcoming year, let’s take a step back and get a pulse on employee burnout statistics from this year to see how we we can change our strategy for the new year.

Read on for 30 employee burnout statistics from 2022.

What is employee burnout?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), employee burnout is the occupational syndrome individuals develop under mismanaged, chronic workplace stress.

Employees who experience burnout usually display physical or emotional exhaustion, along with a lack of productivity or motivation. Burnout symptoms include:

• exhaustion
• mentally distancing yourself from your job
• increased negative feels about your organization
• reduced productivity

Job dissatisfaction and increased work stressors coupled with a lack of support escalate the risk of burnout for an individual and a team.

According to Gallup, 63% of employees who experience burnout are more likely to call out sick and are 2.6 times as likely to leave their current position, culminating in the era of The Great Resignation. Burnt-out workers remaining in their current roles shared how they’re Quiet Quitting on social media— disengaged at work but physically showing up and doing the bare minimum.

In response to the decreased employee retention rates and productivity, workplace leaders proactively launched the following employee engagement initiatives or ‘burnout prevention’ measures this year:

• Nike launched mental health days team-wide.
• Tech companies like Airbnb went fully remote to support work-life balance.
• Organizations like Salesloft turned towards employee engagement apps like Cooleaf to encourage workouts and connect their people.

When it comes down to it, it’s time to re-evaluate how we work from the individual- to the organizational-level. It’s time to step back and assess where we are so we can plan and act.

30 employee burnout statistics in 2022

Since 2020, workplace leaders and human resource teams have sought to support employee well-being and stress levels with increased benefits, psychological support, and developing a stronger sense of belonging.

Here are the latest burnout stats to help you keep a pulse on managing your own work environment:

Employee engagement & workplace happiness

• At the start of 2022, 32% of employees reported being engaged. Following last year’s 34% and 36% reportedly engaged in 2020, Gallup’s poll shows the first decline in employee engagement in over a decade.
• 46% of employees say their expectations around happiness have changed. (Glassdoor)
• 34% of employees want a workplace culture that respects work-life balance. (American Psychological Association or APA)
• 86% of people said how they feel at work influences how they are at home. (Glassdoor)
• 45% of employers don’t view burnout as a problem for their organization. (Annual Aflac WorkForces Report)
• 11% of men and 12% of women are actively looking because they’re unhappy with their manager. (Glassdoor)
• 49% of younger workers (ages 18-29) are feeling more burnt out compared to employees 30 years or older, who feel 38% burnout.

After two years of coping with change brought on by the pandemic, employees have reevaluated their needs in terms of work-life balance and feelings of energy depletion.

They’re speaking out through their actions, which is impacting employee retention and professional efficacy.

Organizations should look to using tools like employee engagement programs, surveying to gather employee feedback, and investigating workday models (hybrid and remote) to put their team members first.

Executives feeling job burnout too

• Executives reportedly experience a 20% decline in work-life balance. (FutureForum)
• Executives are experiencing 40% worse workplace stress and anxiety than last year. (FutureForum)
• Executives experiencing a 15% decrease in work satisfaction since 2021. (FutureForum)
• Workplace burnout isn’t exclusive to just employees. From executives to HR teams, organizations are experiencing work-related stress, leading to work dissatisfaction and burnout.

So what does this mean moving forward?

With workplace leaders showing similar burnout rates as their direct reports, many managers and executives are prioritizing mental health support and fast.

This can look like adding additional benefits such as a membership to health and fitness apps or investing in a holistic employee wellbeing program, like one with Cooleaf.

Cooleaf partners with international fitness instruction from Les Mills to bring meditation, daily stretching, and cardio to your team with small incentives and rewards to keep employees engaged. Management encourages participation with small incentives to get people working out and putting themselves first.

Quiet quitting & quiet management

• 22% of employees selected “strongly agree” that managers clarify work priorities. (Gallup)
• On average, employees who have at least one meaningful conversation with their supervisor a week are approximately 4 x more likely to be engaged at work.
• 43% of managers agree they actively help employees set priorities.
• 37% of managers “strongly agree” that they invest in their people’s career development. 25% of employees “strongly agree” that their manager invests in their professional development.

Quiet Quitting took Millennial and Gen Z by storm this year, thanks to a viral post on TikTok. This surfaced the disconnect many employees felt from their employers and the need to root out the issue by actively engaging our people, not dismissing them.

“We shouldn’t get mad at candidates or talent for ‘quiet quitting’ when we have quiet leadership,” said Donald Knight, Chief People Officer at Greenhouse Software. Donald spoke recently on The Great Retention podcast panel about effective leadership.

“If you’re not being bold and intentional in how you advocate for others and champion others, how dare we get bad at people for ‘quiet quitting’ when those organizations are failing at opportunities to be intentional.”

As we continue to see evolution in the workplace in terms of burnout solutions, helping managers and their people come together will be just as important. Consider hosting a pulse survey or organizing a series of stay interviews to capture feedback and take action in the new year.

Fostering a more inclusive workplace is key for employee retention. Download our free DEI calendar to stay on top of important dates for 2024!

Wellbeing support & benefits becoming a priority

• 71% of workers believe their organization is more invested in their mental well-being than in previous years. (APA)
• 31% of employees feel that organizations provided better mental health support due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
• 81% of workers plan to prioritize mental health support when looking for new opportunities and benefits.
• Less than 30% of employees said their employers provided adequate health insurance coverage to include mental health support.
• Listings on Glassdoor including mental healthcare benefits increased from 49% in 2019 to 63% in 2022.
• 10% of those in the service industry said that their mental and wellbeing support diminished following the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 48% of American employees consider supplemental insurance as a core component of a holistic benefits program. (Annual Aflac WorkForces Report)
• 51% of employers recognize that employee mental well-being has affected their business in 2022. (Annual Aflac WorkForces Report)
• 80% of employees see mental health coverage as necessary and 61% have access to mental health care in their benefits. (Annual Aflac WorkForces Report)

The voracious need for mental health support continues. As we see more people flock to organizations with additional well-being benefits and engagement programs, we’ll see organizations follow suit.

Organizations are listing their healthcare benefits to support mental and physical health to attract top talent and retain their people.

Additional resources like fitness membership apps are great but be sure to review your insurance offerings closely, then ensure that your people know they can find the right access to the right resources.

More flexible work options

• 41% of employees want flexible work hours to support their mental well-being. 31% of people think a four-day work week would support their mental well-being. (APA)(APA)
• 60% of hybrid workers do not want an enforced in-office policy. (Gallup)
• In the U.S., remote job searches in 2022 are outpacing the same search in 2019 (pre-pandemic), from 1.7% to 9.8% interest. (Glassdoor)
• 11% of men and 16% of women are actively looking because they want a remote job.
• 67% of Americans are using work-vacations or “workations", working remotely to blend work and play, to recharge their mental health. (Passport Photo Blog)‍
• 69% of employees report they’re less likely to quit after going on a work-vacation.
• 83% of workers agreed or strongly agreed that a “workation” helped them cope with burnout.

After a year of return-to-office roll outs, the people have spoken: flexible and remote work is here to stay.

Workplace flexibility allows people to hone in on how they work best from wherever they decide to plug in, and it can encourage more communication with a manager or supervisor.

What’s more, remote and hybrid models support working parents and remain more accessible and inclusive for more people. In fact, for many, working from home can help many achieve a better work-life balance.

Burnout doesn’t mean down and out

This year solidified it; while employee burnout remains, the employee experience is rife with opportunities to support people better.

The importance of caring for employees’ mental well-being by offering benefits and healthy workplace culture is higher than ever. We’re also seeing organizations begin to put their people first by utilizing remote work, “workations,” and a variety of employee engagement solutions.

As you strategize for your upcoming year or quarter, use these metrics to guide your next plan of action to support and listen to your people.

Ready to get employee motivation back on track at your organization? Get started on Cooleaf!