Thirty-six percent of Canadian workers reporting increased burnout

Thirty-six percent of Canadian workers said they felt more burned out now than a year ago, according to a Robert Half survey. The recruitment and HR consulting firm in May polled 1,132 professionals in Canada.

That 36% figure is two points lower than in last year’s survey, and seven points lower than in Robert Half’s 2021 survey.

Workers said the most common factors contributing to burnout are heavy workloads (54%), lack of communication and support from management (29%), and toxic organizational culture (26%).

"Burnout is a serious issue that needs to be combatted with ongoing efforts", said David King, senior managing director, Robert Half, Canada and South America. "Though many companies have made strides in supporting employee well-being, it's clear that there is work to be done, and many teams are still stretched thin. This pressure may be exacerbated right now as some businesses are hesitant to bring on new staff, while maintaining their project load."

Indeed, 40% of workers told Robert Half their department is understaffed.

The research found that employers can do more to create a healthy workplace culture, with 39% of employees feeling uneasy about expressing feelings of burnout with their manager and 23% saying their manager hasn’t taken steps to help alleviate work-related stress.

One essential component of preventing burnout is taking work breaks. Though 32% of professionals expect to use more vacation days this summer than last summer, 20% still feel they can’t take time off because it might impact their job security or because they have too much work.

"Employees are happier, more productive, and less at risk of burnout when they have had the chance to properly unplug and find balance in their personal and professional lives," added King. "Managers should be modeling good behaviours in this area, and setting realistic expectations, while encouraging their teams to take time off, and truly disconnect."