Over half of Australian workers take sick leave for burnout, study finds

Burnout has become a mainstream workplace issue in Australia, with more than half of employees reporting they have taken sick leave due to mental exhaustion, according to new research from people2people Recruitment.

The findings also revealed that nearly one-third of those workers took leave for burnout or mental exhaustion in the past 12 months, highlighting growing concerns over employee wellbeing as organisations grapple with rising workloads, skills shortages and productivity pressures.

Culture drives burnout

The research identified workplace culture as the biggest threat to employee wellbeing, with 48% of respondents citing poor workplace culture as the leading contributor to burnout. Unrealistic key performance indicators (25%), staff shortages (15%) and a lack of workplace flexibility (12%) were also identified as major stressors.

"Burnout isn't something that's happening to a small group of workers anymore, it's becoming a mainstream workplace issue," said Suhini Wijayasinghe, Head of HR Solutions at people2people Recruitment. 

She added, "When more than half of workers have needed time off because they were mentally exhausted, it tells us this is no longer an individual resilience issue. It's a workplace issue."

"Employees are telling us very clearly that burnout isn't just about workload. It's about workplace environments that create constant pressure, unrealistic expectations and little opportunity for recovery. Culture has a bigger impact on wellbeing than many organisations realise,” she mentioned.

Always connected

The study found that work increasingly extends beyond office hours. Half of Australian workers said they log on outside normal working hours at least once a week to catch up on work, while one in five admitted they do so every evening.

Among respondents, 14% said they log on once or twice a week, while 18% reported working after hours several times a week.

"The boundaries between work and personal life continue to blur," noted Wijayasinghe. 

"Technology has made it easier than ever to stay connected, but it has also created an expectation of constant availability. Many employees feel like the workday never really ends,” she commented.

Overtime becomes routine

Long working hours are also becoming the norm. 

Nearly three in ten employees (29%) reported working between five and 10 hours of overtime every week. Another 18% work around five extra hours weekly, while 22% regularly work two to three hours beyond their contracted schedules.

"When employees are consistently working additional hours, answering emails at night and spending weekends catching up, eventually that starts to take a toll,"  Wijayasinghe pointed out.

"People can sustain that pace for short periods, but when it becomes the norm rather than the exception, burnout becomes inevitable,” she further added.

Business risk grows

Many organisations continue to treat burnout as an individual issue instead of recognising its wider business impact.

"The cost of burnout extends well beyond sick leave," she said.

"It impacts productivity, engagement, retention, absenteeism and ultimately business performance. Burnout isn't just bad for employees – it's expensive for employers,” Wijayasinghe also noted.

The report recommends that employers take a more proactive approach by setting realistic workloads, monitoring overtime, encouraging employees to take leave, supporting flexible work arrangements and regularly checking in on employee wellbeing. 

Employees are also encouraged to establish clear work boundaries, disconnect outside working hours and raise workload concerns before they become unmanageable.

As Australian workplaces continue to navigate economic uncertainty, skills shortages and rising productivity demands, the research suggests burnout could emerge as one of the defining workforce challenges of 2026.