Large increase in the number of people who say they are experiencing burnout

The number of Britons who say they are experiencing stress or burnout in the workplace doubled in 2023 compared to the previous year, according to a poll from Indeed Flex. According to the survey, 92 percent of UK employees say they have experienced burnout or stress in the workplace during their careers. However the strain has grown rapidly as post-pandemic labour shortages intensified workloads. In 2023 the proportion of UK workers grappling with poor mental health skyrocketed to 37 percent, almost double the 19 percent who experienced problems during 2022. A fifth (19 percent) of workers say they have suffered from burnout or stress in 2024 so far.

The primary factor behind the escalating burnout and stress levels is higher workloads, with 58 percent of workers citing this as the root cause, while 42 percent say it’s due to persistent staff shortages. Meanwhile, a third (34 percent) of employees say their stress and burnout is due to pressure from bosses to work overtime and extend their hours.

The labour market remains tight, with official data showing there were 916,000 vacancies across the UK in the first three months of 2024, with a fifth of adults classed as economically inactive. The number of people out of work because of long-term sickness rose to over 2.5 million people at the end of 2023, an increase of more than 400,000 since the pandemic.

Over a third of workers (34 percent) say they have called in sick as a result of burnout, nearly a quarter (23 percent) have taken time off using their annual leave and 16 percent have been signed off work due to the effect on their mental health.

Burnout and stress have led many to re-evaluate their work lifestyle and career choices, the report’s authors suggest. Nearly two fifths (38 percent) of UK workers polled agree that temporary work offers a better work-life balance and 30 percent believe it can enable people to scale up or down hours depending on their mental health. A third (33 percent) also believe it can be a great way to rebuild their confidence before returning to full-time or part-time employment.