Why you should care
Why should every leader want to prevent burnout? It’s not just about caring for the employees; it’s about the economic sustainability of your business. There are at least four reasons to take preventive measures:
Reason 1: To increase job engagement
Effectively eliminating burnout involves not only preventing the negative but also fostering the positive. According to Gallup research, about 80% of employees are disengaged, doing just the bare minimum to remain employed — a far from ideal situation. With only 20% of the workforce motivated to excel, the loss in potential productivity is substantial. Moreover, it is these engaged employees who are the main contributors to creative problem-solving.
Reason 2: To ensure employee efficiency
Ineffectiveness is a sign of burnout. Alongside a subjective feeling of underachievement and a decline in competence, performance can indeed decrease. Why? There are several reasons for it:
Constant fatigue can trigger an ‘energy-saving mode,’ leading to the routine selection of less demanding performance strategies.
Burnout results from imbalance between effort and rewards. A lack of rewards can discourage effort, thereby impacting outcomes.
Additionally, chronic stress elevates cortisol impairing executive cognitive function, memory and concentration causing further performance decline.
Reason 3: To prevent absenteeism expenses due to work stress
Employees with burnout are eligible for long-term sick leave, typically ranging from three to six months, often followed by reintegration phase. It may take years to resume working full-time. And during this period employer must pay compensation. TNO data indicates the average cost per employee is EUR 11,000.
Reason 4: To avoid losing your best talent
If measured correctly up to 10-15% of employees will fit burnout profile. Top performers are at even higher risk for burnout due to their larger workloads and commitment to excellence. If you don’t match this great effort with appropriate support, they will burn out and leave. Besides losing people, the costs of employee turnover range from half to twice the individual’s annual salary. Educating your managers about mental wellbeing and burnout is cheaper.