Burnout is Still Common Among Employees, Especially Managers and Directors

Employees with high burnout are less engaged and more likely to job hunt, according to Quantum Workplace research.

OMAHA, Neb. — 37% of employees suffer from high levels of burnout, according to new research by Quantum Workplace, a leading employee success platform and the employee engagement partner for the nationally recognized Best Places to Work Programs. This research highlights a critical issue impacting engagement, performance, and workplace culture.  

The original research analyzed burnout rates by employee title, industry, age group and tenure, as well as the impact of burnout and how to best manage it. 

“Burnout goes beyond workplace stress. It’s severe physical and emotional exhaustion that can lead to disengagement and reduced productivity if not managed appropriately,” Quantum Workplace Lead Researcher Shane McFeely said. “Addressing burnout is essential for engaging employees and motivating performance.” 

Key findings from the research include: 

• 37% of employees have high burnout levels, despite a decline since 2021.  
• Employees with high burnout are 1.7X less engaged 
• Employees with high burnout are 2.1X more likely to be searching for other jobs. 
• Managers and directors experience more burnout than executives and individual contributors. 
• Only 40% of employees say their organization has sufficient staff to manage the workload they have. 

“Managing burnout requires leaders to create a culture of continuous listening, realistic and aligned goals, employee recognition, as well as fair compensation and workload reviews,” McFeely said. “Creating a culture that minimizes burnout is all about showing employees that you value them.” 

Data in the report are generated from one of the largest databases on employee experience in the U.S., including over 700,000 voices across more than 8,000 organizations.   

Read more about burnout in Quantum Workplace’s Not Another Employee Engagement Trends Report.