Majority of employees in Australia and New Zealand face burnout

The report showed surveyed workers feel their employers are currently supporting mental health and wellness through Employee Assistance Programs (AU and NZ: 44%). But are these efforts enough?

Ceridian global human capital management (HCM) technology provider, found the vast majority of surveyed workers in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) are struggling with burnout.

Ceridian’s 2022 Pulse of Talent Report showed that 85 per cent of respondents in Australia and, 84 per cent in New Zealand are facing burnout, with more than one-third reporting high or extreme levels (AU: 43 per cent, NZ: 36 per cent). 

The employees are demanding more support from their companies. As a key benefit, employees have declared designated mental health days (AU: 43%, NZ: 46%) as a primary way of how employees would like organisations to support their mental health and wellness.

What's causing burnout?

As per the survey the top catalysts for burnout among respondents are increased workloads (AU: 46%, NZ: 42%), followed by mental health challenges (AU: 38%, NZ: 36%). Meanwhile, one-third of surveyed workers say they are losing interest in their work (AU: 32%, NZ: 36%) and are less focused (AU and NZ: 30%) as a result of burnout. 

To battle the stress caused by burnout and to address it, employees are looking to take some key steps, including, taking sick leave or leave of absence (AU and NZ: 31%) and requesting flexibility from their manager (AU: 25%, NZ: 19%). 

“The way we work has changed, and so should our approach to employee mental health and wellbeing," said Stephen Moore, Managing Director, Asia Pacific Japan, Ceridian. “Not only is it the responsible thing to do, but a healthy and engaged workforce leads to lower turnover, lower absenteeism, and higher productivity in what is now an increasingly borderless, fluid and always-on world of work.”

As employees' health directly impacts their performance and productivity, leadership must pay more attention to the rise of burnout and relook at their talent policies, culture, and other aspects of work, to support their employees lead healthier and happier lives. In 2022, employers prioritise well-being, and going beyond conversations, focus on making key operational and cultural changes to improve employee experience.