10 Signs of Employee Burnout: Recognising Warning Signs at Work

What is workplace burnout?

Burnout is recognised by the World Health Organization as an ‘occupational phenomenon’ and refers to the emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion individuals can feel as a result of a prolonged period of stress at work. 

Work-related burnout can impact the physical health, mood, concentration, motivation and job performance of affected individuals. It can often start to interfere with their personal lives, including negatively affecting relationships with friends, family, and loved ones. Burnout can also cause individuals to develop other mental health conditions, like depression and anxiety. 

Whilst burnout and work-related stress might seem similar, there are some key differences. Stress refers to the way people react when put under pressure at work or in their personal life, and is a natural feeling that everyone will experience throughout their life. Burnout, however, is a more long-term condition that develops over time as a result of chronic stress at work. 

Symptoms of burnout at work

Burnout can manifest in several ways and impacts individuals physically, emotionally, and mentally. 

Common symptoms of workplace burnout include:

• Changes in mood: Someone experiencing burnout at work might show changes in their mood, such as increased irritability, feelings of anxiety, and seeming withdrawn or detached. 

• Feelings of exhaustion: Burnout can cause individuals to feel consistently exhausted and low-energy.

• Loss of motivation: Burnt-out employees may experience a lack of motivation and be disinterested in their work or work-related activities. 

• Problems with concentration and focus: Employee burnout can make concentration and focus more difficult, and burnt-out individuals might struggle to complete their assigned tasks. 

• Reduced levels of performance: Feelings of exhaustion, loss of motivation, and troubles with concentration can all contribute to a reduced level of performance in employees who are burnt out. 

• Changes to sleeping patterns: Individuals experiencing burnout at work could experience changes to their sleeping patterns, such as insomnia or disturbed sleep. 

• Changes to eating habits: Burnout can cause changes to eating habits, such as a loss of appetite. 

10 signs of burnout at work

As burnout gradually progresses over time, it can be difficult to spot it emerging in yourself or your employees. However, it is important to identify signs of burnout as early as possible so you can reduce its impact. 

10 common signs that you or your employees are becoming burnt out at work include: 

Long working hours

Burnout can cause individuals to lack motivation, decrease their ability to focus on tasks, and reduce productivity. All of these can contribute to individuals feeling behind in their work, leading them to work longer hours to catch up. If an employee feels they are underperforming in their role, they are more likely to work longer hours to counteract this. 

Consistent lateness

Burnt-out employees can lack motivation to do their job and will often feel mentally, physically, and/or emotionally exhausted, making it difficult for them to show up at work. If an employee is consistently showing up late to work and leaving early, it could be a sign that they are experiencing workplace burnout. 

Too many priorities 

Having too many priorities can be both a cause of burnout and a sign that an individual is burnt out. Someone who is experiencing burnout at work might find it more difficult to make decisions and prioritise tasks, causing everything to seem like a top priority. They might also struggle to push back against tasks and say no to colleagues in fear of disappointing others. 

Reduced participation

Burnout can cause individuals to lack enthusiasm about all aspects of their work life, from their specific job responsibilities to the social aspect. This might mean the burnt-out employee participates less in workplace activities and becomes less engaged with their colleagues. 

Change in attitude

Many employees experiencing burnout will display a change in attitude to their job and the organisation they work for. Though this personality shift will differ from person to person, examples of changes in behaviour you might notice include irritability, sensitivity to criticism, carelessness, or becoming withdrawn. 

Making more mistakes

Burnout can cause previously hard-working, conscientious employees to deliver work that is of a lower quality than normal. Their work might not be very thorough, include mistakes that they would usually notice and correct, and seem rushed or lacking in effort. These signs might indicate that the individual is burnt out, rather than suddenly lacking the ability to do their job. 

Missing deadlines

Missing deadlines consistently can be a sign of job burnout, as it indicates the individual might be struggling to keep on top of their responsibilities. Burnout can cause mental overload, meaning work isn’t completed as quickly as usual and can result in the time it takes to complete tasks being underestimated, procrastination, and the individual being unable to manage time effectively.

Problems with concentration

Overworked, stressed, and burnt-out employees will often experience a decline in cognitive performance, including concentration and focus. Their attention might seem to drift off during meetings, the quality of their work might decline, and they might make repeated errors that they usually wouldn’t overlook. 

Forgetfulness

Regular forgetfulness is also a sign of burnout at work, and affected individuals might struggle to remember simple instructions or lose track of what tasks they need to get done and the deadlines they have coming up.

Increased illness and absenteeism

A common sign of burnout at work is increased sickness absences and absenteeism. Burnout causes harm to an employee’s mental and physical health, resulting in more time being spent away from work. While a case of the Sunday Scaries is common amongst employees, burnt-out employees are more likely to call out sick as a result of the stress and anxiety they face at work. 

What causes employee burnout?

There is no single cause of employee burnout, and it is often a cumulative result of many different factors. While causes are typically rooted in the workplace, it is important to recognise that issues at home can’t always be left at the office door and can also contribute to employee burnout. 

Burnout typically develops over a prolonged period of time and might start with employees feeling overwhelmed, stressed, anxious, frustrated, and helpless. These feelings can build up and result in the symptoms of workplace burnout. 

Common factors that can contribute to work-related burnout include: 

• Dealing with too many demands at work 
• A lack of support from colleagues and managers 
• Feeling overwhelmed by job responsibilities 
• Worrying about job security 
• Feeling isolated at work 
• Personal issues, such as financial worries, poor health, and relationship issues

Why is burnout at work a concern?

Work-related burnout should be taken seriously as it can have a major impact on employees as individuals, as well as organisations as a whole. Understanding these impacts is key to improving workplace mental health.

Burnout can cause significant mental, physical, and emotional symptoms and addressing it early can stop it from developing into other serious chronic conditions like heart disease or mental health conditions like depression. It will also improve the quality of life of these individuals and help them feel happier about themselves and their work. 

Addressing burnout is also just as important for employers and their organisation. Not only do employers have a duty of care towards their employees, but it will also improve the quality of work output of employees, employee productivity, and return on investment (ROI). 

Calculate the value of improving workplace mental health as an employer with our ROI calculator.

What can be done to prevent workplace burnout?

Employees and employers must be aware of what causes burnout and the signs of burnout so they can effectively implement strategies to try and prevent it from becoming worse or happening again in the future. 

How to reduce burnout as an employee

• Be aware of your working patterns: Think about your working patterns and note any unhealthy habits that you might want to change. For example, if you are consistently overworking yourself and taking no breaks. 

• Talk to the people you work with: Be open with your manager and colleagues, and don’t be afraid to mention if you are struggling with your workload or need a helping hand. 

• Take work-life balance seriously: Make sure you have a good work-life balance by ensuring you are not overworking yourself. If you have worked beyond your usual working hours, see if you are able to take some time back. 

• Take note of your moods: Make a note of your moods and see if you can identify any changes to your mood or behaviour. 

• Remember to switch off from work: Switch off from work by doing things you enjoy, such as reading, exercising, drawing, or playing video games. Take the time off that you are entitled to so you can rest and recharge. 

• Utilise wellbeing support available: Talk to your employer and find out what mental health and wellbeing support is available to you through work. Take advantage of this support if you feel you need it. 

How to reduce burnout as an employer

• Create an open and honest culture: Creating a workplace where employees feel they can be honest about their struggles can help them feel less isolated and stressed about problems at work, reducing the risk of burnout. 

• Review HR policies: Review your HR policies and implement new ones where necessary to ensure workload is kept at a sustainable level and employees have enough time to relax and recover from stressful workdays. 

• Be aware of employee working patterns: Pay attention to employee working patterns and try to identify anything that indicates unhealthy working habits. For example, if an employee is consistently sending emails outside of typical working hours. 

• Consider workload and deadlines for team members: Be aware of your team’s workload and upcoming deadlines. Make sure that workloads remain manageable and extra support is given when needed. 

• Notice changes in behaviour: Be aware of the normal behaviours of your employees, and identify any changes. If you notice mood swings, changes in energy levels, or differences in employee interactions, that individual might be burnt out and need extra support. 

• Signpost to support: Know what mental health and wellbeing provisions are available to your team and make sure your employees know where they can find support if they need it. 

Invest in workplace mental health and wellbeing with Onebright

At Onebright, we are dedicated to improving mental health support for employers, offering expert, end-to-end services for employee wellbeing. With over 200 UK businesses as clients, we are experienced in supporting diverse workforces across a range of sectors. 

We offer a range of services for employers, including: 

• Mental health services
• Neurodevelopmental services
• Workplace mental health training 
• Wellbeing consultancy services

Contact us today to discuss how we can help you improve your organisation’s mental health provision, reduce employee burnout and absenteeism, and create a happier and healthier workplace.