Burnout is killing productivity – but small changes can help

Work and stress-related burnout costs the UK economy a staggering £28bn a year – and more than 23.3m sick days.

by | 12 Jun, 2024

Woman in shadow resting her head on her hand with only her face lit
  • 47% of people in the UK are teetering on the edge of burnout with cost to employers reaching £28 billion a year.
  • Post-Covid aftershocks as well as financial pressures are driving absenteeism and presenteeism with uncertainty about the future widespread.
  • Behavioural patterns as well as lifestyle habits need to be addressed in order for employees to lower stress and increase productivity.

Data gleaned from AXA’s Mind Health Study of 30,000 people shows 47% of people are struggling or languishing, something that is defined in the research as an absence of positive wellbeing.

This alarming statistic means almost half of the UK are at risk of burning out, something that is having a significant impact on the economy and businesses across the UK, the authors say.

Behind lack of wellbeing is a feeling of uncertainty of about the future – 46% of people felt overwhelmed – with UK’s cost-of-living crisis having a particularly negative impact.

The Centre for Economic and Business Research UK further underscores the financial ramifications, with absenteeism due to financial concerns costing employers a staggering £3.7 billion annually, while presenteeism exacts an even steeper toll at £6.6 billion.

But addressing health essentials and putting in place correct work management tools can not only reduce small business costs but contribute to greater productivity, says Filipa Bellette, author of Ending Body Burnout.

She believes workers can be more focussed, purpose driven, energetic and able to achieve without “doing more”.

“Burnout is the new pandemic – it’s everywhere,” she says.

From cognitive fog to debilitating fatigue and waning motivation, the symptoms of burnout underscore a profound dysregulation of the body’s stress response system.

While poor nutrition, sleep and exercise habits are often involved, Bellette says the lingering aftershocks of Covid-induced upheavals cannot be overlooked.

At the same time, the tight economy means many workers are attempting to take on a greater workload to either increase income or to shore up employment stability.

The pressure cooker of change

A nexus of global, technological and environmental changes, including Covid lockdowns, climate change and artificial intelligence have all put pressure on economies and workers to adapt and this can be a source of anxiety for many people, agrees Brian Dow, Chief Executive, Mental Health UK.

In The Burnout Out Report 2024, he says: “The sense of the problems being just too big to handle is naturally another key factor in burnout and, in so far as any of us are able to make sense of these, an honest conversation about how we adjust is as relevant in the workplace as it is in wider society.”

Dr Imren Sterno, Lead Consultant Clinical Psychologist at AXA Health, advocates for heightened self-awareness, encouraging employees to recognise their working and stress patterns.

Keynote speaker and career architect Edwin Trevor-Roberts says quality of work rather than quantity is far more important to small businesses and implementing a nine-day fortnight can raise productivity.

Business leaders can also ensure they have rhythm and cadence in the work week for employees to both enhance mental health and create structure.

“Something regular, such as a daily huddle, a weekly meeting and a monthly planning session give certainty in an uncertain world,” says Trevor-Roberts.

Treating burnout

Bellette uses functional medicine to uncover and treat underlying physical causes of burnout, such as adrenal fatigue or low dopamine levels, something that can require more investigation than a simple GP visit. However, that can be a good place to seek professional advice, as can an Employee Assistance Programme, says Dr Sterno.

Central to Bellette’s therapeutic approach is the cultivation of habits conducive to holistic wellbeing, ranging from good nutrition and hydration, to regular exercise and quality sleep. She is also an advocate of breaking down projects, goals and tasks into smaller steps and implementing change over time, as well as seeking professional help to shift mental or physical health challenges.

“Someone who is sedentary can start with as little movement as going for a walk while they are talking on the phone, or standing up to stretch or move every 30 minutes,” she says.

Processed foods can slowly be replaced with whole foods; boundaries enforced around excessive screen time that impacts both mental health and rest.

Trevor-Roberts uses a personal template to track wellbeing habits and devotes allotted time weekly to workload planning.

“It’s also important for leaders and employees to realise that they can’t keep a high pace all of the time and that energy goes in ebbs and flows,” he says.

Dismantling entrenched patterns of overwork may be necessary to prevent and overcome burnout, adds Bellette.

“Generally patterns of behaviour that lead to burnout are derived from cultural programming or beliefs around feeling the need to do more to be valued,” she says.

A 2023 study found the average UK employee clocks up 18 days of unpaid overtime a year, with 11 per cent putting in an additional five hours per week.

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