Once seen as rare or personal, burnout is now a widespread workplace issue. Picture an employee who once thrived—focused, driven, optimistic. Now they’re distracted, anxious, and exhausted. What changed?

Burnout is more than fatigue. The World Health Organization defines it as an occupational phenomenon caused by chronic workplace stress, characterized by emotional exhaustion, detachment, and reduced performance.

It’s becoming alarmingly common. According to a Gallup survey, three in four employees report experiencing burnout at least occasionally. One in four say they feel it “very often” or “always.”

The toll isn’t just personal—it’s organizational. According to estimates, workers with poor mental health take an average of 12 unplanned absence days each year, compared to just 2.5 days for others. Lost productivity, rising turnover, and disengagement are all part of the price.

The question isn’t whether burnout exists. It’s whether employers are willing to confront it. Here’s what leaders say.

Editor’s Note: This article discusses workplace stress, burnout, and mental health. Readers who may find these topics sensitive should proceed with care.

Implement Sustainable Performance Standards

I worked with a client organization where 67% of employees reported feeling burned out, and turnover in key departments reached 35% annually. The challenge wasn’t just implementing wellness programs – it was fundamentally changing a culture that rewarded overwork and viewed long hours as dedication.

We implemented what we called “Sustainable Performance Standards” that redefined how success was measured and demonstrated. Instead of praising employees who worked weekends or responded to emails at midnight, we started recognizing managers whose teams achieved results while maintaining healthy boundaries. We established “recovery metrics” alongside productivity metrics – tracking things like vacation days actually taken, after-hours email frequency, and team workload distribution. Leadership began modeling the behavior by publicly taking time off, delegating effectively, and refusing to send non-urgent communications outside business hours. We also created “capacity planning” protocols where teams regularly assessed workload against available resources and were empowered to push back on unrealistic deadlines or request additional support.

The most effective change was requiring managers to justify why any project needed to be completed outside normal working hours, shifting the burden of proof from employees having to defend their boundaries to leadership having to defend urgency. Within 18 months, burnout reports dropped to 23%, turnover decreased to 12%, and productivity actually increased as employees became more focused and strategic during work hours.

The key insight was that cultural change requires systemic accountability – you can’t just tell people to have better work-life balance while rewarding the opposite behaviors in performance reviews and promotion decisions.

Brittney Simpson, HR Consultant, Savvy HR Partner

Foster Personal Connections with Employees

We revolutionized our culture by spending more time getting to know employees on a personal basis, initiating conversations, and showing that we are supportive of them.

HR often gets a bad reputation because people assume we are only concerned with the company’s bottom line, rather than the emotional well-being of our team. We are not afraid of discussing mental health, domestic situations, or anything else that was previously considered taboo a generation or so ago.

While we fully embrace AI, it is a tool that requires happy and secure humans to bring ideas to life and drive revenue.

Small changes—proving that we actually care, rather than virtue signaling or giving lip service—have increased reported morale in stay interviews, reduced absenteeism, and fostered loyalty even in high-turnover occupations.

Jeremy Golan SHRM-CP, CPHR, Bachelor of Management, HR Manager, Virtual HR Hub

Educate Leadership on Burnout Research

For us, it took making senior management aware of the research on burnout and attrition, which radically changed their perspective.

Initially, senior management believed that burnout, low engagement, and attrition only affected our lowest performers, and thus weren’t considered a priority to fix.

However, more recent research suggests very much the opposite: that the highest performers are uniquely vulnerable to burnout.

In the research, we see a curvilinear relationship between competence and burnout/attrition, suggesting that both particularly high and low performers are especially vulnerable.

This makes perfect sense, as burning the candle at both ends is a huge risk factor. Moreover, high performers have expectations placed on them, and their hard work is typically rewarded with just more work.

After making it abundantly clear to senior management that our highest performers are most at risk, it was a huge lightbulb moment.

From that point onward, the leadership team bought into the idea and started to take the issue far more seriously. This has enabled us to implement changes without resistance, and the whole organization is seeing the benefits.

Ben Schwencke, Chief Psychologist, Test Partnership

Model Work-Life Balance from the Top

A few years ago, I noticed our team was delivering incredible results but at the expense of their own well-being. The pace was unsustainable, and without realizing it, we had created a culture where overwork was unintentionally being rewarded. I knew that had to change.

We began by having honest, judgment-free conversations about workloads, boundaries, and what healthy balance looked like for each person. These conversations gave us clarity about where the pressure points were. From there, we made tangible adjustments: clearer workload distribution, no-meeting blocks to protect focus time, and more realistic timelines that respected both deadlines and energy levels.

The most important shift came from leadership modeling the behavior we wanted to see. I made a conscious effort to take breaks, protect my own focus time, and log off at a reasonable hour. I encouraged others to do the same and celebrated when they did. It sent a clear message that rest was not something earned only after pushing to the limit; it was a vital part of how we worked.

Over time, the change was clear. We maintained strong performance, but engagement, creativity, and overall energy improved. People felt more comfortable speaking up when they were at capacity, and collaboration became more sustainable.

The takeaway is simple: You cannot build a thriving culture on burnout. Lasting success only happens when well-being is built into the way you work, not added as an afterthought.

Alysha M. Campbell, Founder and CEO, CultureShift HR

Offer Flexible Scheduling and Reduced Hours

As a small business owner who also works in the field of psychology and mental health, burnout and balance are common topics in our office. One thing that I do to help support my team with their mental health and reduce the risk of burnout is that I offer flexible scheduling. Each employee is able to dictate the schedule that works best for them and their clients. Additionally, we strive for a 30-hour full-time work week and have part-time options available for our team.

I believe both of these benefits are easily implemented and are extremely helpful for my team!

Dr. Erica Wollerman, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Founder, CEO, Thrive Therapy Studio

Integrate Micro-Recovery Practices into Workday

One field-tested strategy that has worked remarkably well is integrating micro-recovery practices into the flow of the workday, rather than leaving well-being to after-hours activities. This approach draws from research published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, which found that short, structured breaks—ranging from mindfulness sessions and walking meetings to brief skill-building micro-learning—significantly reduce fatigue and improve focus. By designing the workday with deliberate pauses and empowering managers to model these behaviors, employees began to normalize taking mental “pit stops” without guilt. Within six months, engagement scores improved by 22% and sick leave related to stress dropped notably. The key is making well-being a built-in part of the workflow, not an optional add-on, so balance becomes an ingrained part of the organizational rhythm.

Arvind Rongala, CEO, Edstellar

Normalize Mental Health Conversations

One of the most effective strategies I have seen work is making mental health part of everyday conversations rather than something addressed only in a crisis. We introduced regular check-ins that go beyond project updates, where managers ask about workload, stress levels, and personal well-being in a genuine way.

We also restructured workloads to include protected focus time and encouraged people to actually use their vacation days without guilt. This was paired with leadership setting the example by taking breaks themselves, avoiding late-night emails, and openly talking about how they manage stress.

Over time, this shifted the mindset from “push through until you burn out” to “work at a pace you can sustain.” People started speaking up earlier when they felt overwhelmed, which allowed us to redistribute work before it became a problem. The result was better morale, lower turnover, and a noticeable increase in productivity because people had the energy to do their best work.

Ali Yilmaz, Co-founder&CEO, Aitherapy

Trust Employees to Manage Their Energy

Even as a CEO, I am someone deeply involved in our employee relations processes and overall well-being, so in part, I also act as part of HR.

One of the most effective methods we implement at Carepatron is doubling down on autonomy and flexibility. We trust people to manage their energy, not just their time. That means if someone needs to step back after a big push, they don’t have to explain or ask for permission. They just do it. It’s understood, supported, and expected.

We’ve always believed that sustainable performance comes from ownership. When team members have real autonomy, they naturally tune into their limits. They pace themselves. They recover before hitting a wall. And because the culture supports that, there’s no stigma around it. No one’s penalized for protecting their mental health.

We also talk openly about rhythm. Not every week is balanced, and that’s fine. What matters is having the flexibility to adjust. To go hard when you’re in the zone, and to pull back when you’re not.

Jamie Frew, CEO, Carepatron

Make Well-being Goals Visible and Accountable

We’ve found that the best way to combat burnout is to make well-being commitments as visible and accountable as work commitments. Using ReliablyME, employees set small, personal well-being goals—such as taking a midday walk, ending meetings on time, or blocking focus hours—and share them with a peer group.

We deliver these nudges and check-ins via SMS and WhatsApp, which ensures they’re seen and acted upon, even by field staff or remote teams. The visibility and recognition of follow-through create social reinforcement, while the peer-to-peer structure prevents it from feeling like top-down policing. Over time, this normalizes balance as part of performance, rather than a break from it.

Alex Todd, Founder and CEO, ReliablyME Inc.

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What Do You Think?

Workplace mental health is a complex issue with no one-size-fits-all solution. As burnout rates continue to rise, organizations must find sustainable ways to support employee well-being. But where does the line between corporate responsibility and personal accountability lie?

Should companies be doing more, or does the responsibility rest with individuals? Share your thoughts below!