Global workplace burnout statistics
- Employee stress levels have been soaring in recent years. In 2023, 75% of employees said they experienced at least moderate stress at work, and the percentage of employees experiencing high levels of stress grew from 33% to 38% this year. (Aflac)
- This workplace stress isn’t just related to hybrid work. 32% of workers cited a “heavy workload” and overwork for their workplace stress, as well as “long hours” (27%), “insufficient pay” (23%), and “too many meetings” (20%). (Aflac)
- In 2023, more than half of American workers said they experience burnout at work. (Aflac)
- Millennials (66%), Gen Z (56%), and Gen X (60%) shared similar burnout rates, but Baby Boomers (39%) had significantly lower rates. (Aflac)
- Women are more likely than men to suffer from burnout. 46% of women say they are burned out compared with 37% of men. (Future Forum)
- Burned-out employees have 1.8 times lower overall job satisfaction and are 3.4 times as likely to be actively seeking a different job. (Future Forum)
Remote work burnout
- 67% of workers say they prefer a hybrid work setup with flexibility to work both at home and in the office. (Future Forum)
- 57% of non-executive employees want to have in-office workdays to collaborate with team members and build camaraderie. 25% of fully remote employees say they experience loneliness at work, compared to just 16% of fully on-site workers. Hybrid workers fall in-between at 21%. (Future Forum)
- 72% of remote or hybrid workers say they’re less likely to take a sick day and completely rest when they’re sick, opting to work remotely instead. (Future Forum)
- 69% of remote employees report increased levels of burnout from digital communication tools. (Forbes)
- Burnout from remote work can often come from the difficulty of having clear boundaries. 81% of remote workers say they check email outside of work hours, including on weekends (63%) and vacations (34%). (Buffer)
- 55% of remote workers said it’s hard to feel connected to coworkers. However, 37% said remote work didn’t impact their connection to their coworkers. (Pew Research)
- 48% of virtual or work from home (WFH) employees are often working outside of their scheduled work hours, and 44% say they’re working more hours in 2023 than in 2022. (Buffer)
- Remote (40%) and hybrid work (38%) are associated with an increased likelihood of anxiety and depression compared to in-person work (35%). (SHRM)
- 73% of executives said remote workers felt isolated in 2022, up from 68% in 2021. (SHRM)
- Work anxiety is increasing across the board, with 43% of employees saying their stress levels increased in 2024 compared to 2023. (Owl Labs)
- Remote work might have a detrimental effect on career growth as well. 28% of remote workers said working remotely has been harmful to their career growth, while 36% said it was helpful. (Buffer)
How to support burnt-out employees
- For some employees, remote work increases burnout, while others think it would help. 43% of employees said options to work from home would help their burnout, along with increased time off (51%) and self-care programs (46%). (Aflac)
- 76% of employees say “mental health coverage is just as important as physical health coverage” and 73% said evaluating how companies support mental well-being for employees would be a top consideration for them when job-hunting. (Aflac)
- 85% of organisations said they understood which in-person and virtual experiences mattered most for their employees and were ready to support those. (McKinsey)
- 55% of employees said meeting new people, mentoring (51%), and team meetings (49%) were better experiences when done in-person in an office. And a massive 91% of employees said they could still be convinced to go to the office with the right benefits. (Owl Labs)
- 62% of remote work employees said they preferred to be “on-camera” during Zoom video calls. Of those, 16% said seeing people’s faces on screen helped reduce feelings of isolation during the workday. (Buffer)
- Remote employees said a supportive manager (92%) is the most important factor to feeling supported at work behind compensation (94%). (Owl Labs)
- Many companies are trying new solutions to keep remote workers engaged, including having tech for remote team collaboration (78%), offering flexible work hours (63%), and offering opportunities to connect with coworkers in-person (60%). (Buffer)
- Companies that increased their travel budgets to connect employees have a 29% lower employee turnover than companies who reduced their travel spend. (TravelPerk)
- 21% of 25-35 year-old workers say business travel has helped their mental health in their professional life. (TravelPerk)
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Top causes of home office burnout
- An inability to disconnect from work, and a lack of boundaries between work and personal life
- Lacking workplace inspiration
- Missing a supportive environment and connection to coworkers
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