Burnout on the rise for workers

For many employees who were furloughed and unable to work for extended periods, the return to work included struggling with demotivation, anxiety over returning to the workplace after so much time away and being overwhelmed by the workload facing them.

Similarly, many who worked throughout the pandemic, often with limited time off, are reporting feeling tired and worn out. Stresses of the working environment coupled with personal and societal pressures have taken a toll, so it's not really surprising that online searches for ‘signs of burnout' have increased by more than 200%.

Kate Palmer, HR advice & consultancy director at Peninsula, says that it is time for employers to act.

"Employers must recognise this is a real problem and put measures in place to adequately support their teams' mental health and emotional wellbeing. Focused training sessions on empathy and emotional intelligence and introducing mental health first aiders allow organisations to identify those who may be struggling and provide early intervention to direct them to the help they need. An employee assistance programme (EAP) is a great tool to provide professional and effective counselling and support.

"Pro-active organisations who place employee wellbeing as a priority have also been introducing "duvet days" or "personal days" allowing staff to take additional no-questions-asked paid leave."