Avoiding Burnout: How We Can Support Our People When It Matters Most

In our last blog, we looked at Gallup's brand-new ‘State of the Global Workplace’ report. It highlighted a workforce under pressure, a manager engagement crisis, and falling wellbeing scores. All of this has resulted in just 10% of the UK’s workforce feeling engaged at work.

And mental health is a constant fixture in the headlines - with good reason. Post-pandemic, we saw a staggering 850,000-person rise in the number of people not working due to long-term sickness in the UK alone. It’s a trend that’s both economically unsustainable and deeply human. And then there are those who are in work, but are struggling…

Beyond the stats and soundbites is a reality we all recognise: life feels tough right now. Global instability, financial uncertainty, and relentless personal and professional pressures are taking their toll on employees everywhere. And when businesses face their own pressures, the knock-on effect is often increased workload, tighter deadlines, and teams and individuals stretched to breaking point.

That can become a vicious (and hugely damaging) cycle. Lose a valuable employee to burnout, and someone else must pick up their workload. That piles even more work and pressure onto them, leading them to head the same way. And so it spirals and spreads, possibly exponentially.

The 2024 Global Talent Trends report from Mercer revealed that 82% of employees are at risk of burnout. Financial strain (43%) and excessive workloads (37%) are major contributors. At the same time, current HSE data shows over 16.4 million UK working days were lost in 2023/24 due to stress, depression, or anxiety. That figure rises to 29.6 million if you include all forms of work-related ill health (excluding accidents). Stress, depression and anxiety also result in longer absences than any other type of sick leave, with an average of over 21 days.

These numbers aren’t just statistics — they’re a wake-up call.

Understanding the Impact of Burnout

Burnout isn’t just about absence. It can show up in presenteeism, where people are physically present but mentally drained, distracted, and disengaged. Mistakes increase. Morale dips. And eventually, exhausted employees may feel that leaving is their only option.

For employers, this means lower productivity, higher staff turnover, and rising costs. For employees, it can mean a steady decline in both professional performance and personal wellbeing.

What’s Causing the Pressure?

Yes, workload is a big factor — but it’s not the only one. According to workplace health data, other common drivers of stress include:

• Unfair treatment or toxic workplace dynamics

• Lack of role clarity or control over work

• Poor communication or manager support

• Unreasonable time pressure

• Organisational change without support

• Threats, bullying, or harassment

The good news? (…and, boy, do we need some good news?!) Many of these can be alleviated through better communication, smarter planning, and stronger leadership support.

How Employers Can Help

Time, Space, and Balance

Help your people protect their time. Ideas include:

• No-meeting zones (e.g., protected lunch hours)

• Is a weekly meeting-free day a realistic proposal?

• Clear tagging of meetings as essential, optional, or beneficial

• Promoting use of annual leave and true disconnection during holidays

• Flexible working, remote options, and reasonable out-of-hours boundaries

  
  

Manage Workloads Proactively

Evaluate workloads honestly:

• Are expectations realistic?

• Are tasks and goals clearly defined?

• Are adequate and appropriate resources and support available?

• Are employees involved in decisions that affect them?

Fair distribution and clear communication go a long way in reducing stress.

Support Your Managers to Support Others

Managers can be part of the solution — or, sadly, part of the problem. Sometimes, excessive pressure on employees reflects poor time management, unrealistic planning, or unfiltered stress from leadership.

That’s why it’s crucial to:

• Offer training to help managers recognise burnout and take preventive action

• Encourage open dialogue through regular check-ins and one-to-ones

• Provide resources and support for managers themselves, who may also be experiencing burnout

Remember: a well-supported manager is more likely to support others well.

Make Wellbeing a Daily Conversation

Promote wellbeing consistently—not just in crisis moments. Consider:

• Sharing stress-management tips and relaxation techniques

• Introducing mental health first-aiders or peer-supporters

• Encouraging downtime and informal social connections

• Celebrating contributions through peer-to-peer recognition

• Promoting physical wellness through ergonomic setups, healthy snacks, or movement challenges

Wellbeing isn’t a one-time campaign—it’s a continuous culture.

Where Internal Comms Comes In

Internal communications has a powerful role to play in preventing burnout by:

• Raising awareness: Share clear, consistent messaging on wellbeing support, boundaries, and initiatives.

• Encouraging openness: Help de-stigmatise mental health challenges through storytelling, case studies, and leadership messages.

• Enabling two-way dialogue: Pulse surveys, interactive Q&As, suggestion boxes, or walk-and-talks all create space for honest feedback.

• Promoting clarity: Uncertainty causes stress—so keep employees informed during change, and be transparent about goals, decisions, and expectations.

• Creating connection: Use channels to build community, highlight wins, and celebrate values-aligned behaviour.

Above all, listen as much as you speak. If you don’t know what’s stressing your people out, ask. Pulse surveys specific to stress and wellbeing are a powerful tool — just make sure action follows. An always-on interactive Q&A platform can also be a spectacular way to give your people a voice and allow then to share their concerns and fears.

Not sure your comms strategy is up to scratch? We can’t recommend highly enough doing something about that as a matter of urgency!

We Know We Can’t Control Everything

We can’t fix the economy or stop global crises. We can't stop people from worrying about these things. But we can make our workplaces kinder, more human, and less stressful. We can reduce the avoidable pressures we place on others. And we can lead by example, showing what it means to care, listen, and respond with empathy.

In times like these, that’s not just good leadership — it’s essential.