Today’s workplace thrives on a dangerous myth: burnout is a personal failing. Are you exhausted? Meditate. Overwhelmed? Try a standing desk. Drowning in emails? Manage your time better. Feeling overworked? You take on too much. Don’t believe these master gaslighters—the message from the employer is clear—it’s you, not us—fix it on your own.
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), which is the world’s largest HR organization, reported that in their Employee Mental Health in 2024 Research Series, released for Mental Health Awareness Month, they found that 44 percent of 1,405 surveyed U.S. employees feel burned out at work, 45 percent feel “emotionally drained” from their work, and 51 percent feel “used up” at the end of the workday.
But the truth is, burnout is an organizational issue stemming from a culture steeped in unrealistic, toxic high performer expectations and the ‘do more with less’ mantra—and employers are more than happy to keep it that way.
Burnout is a Business Model
Don’t kid yourself—workplace burnout isn’t some kind of pseudo psychological idea dreamt up by armchair psychologists working on their next best seller; it is a real and unfortunate side effect of demanding jobs where the ingredients of success hinge on the employer taking more and the employee giving until it hurts.
Profitability often means squeezing every ounce of productivity out of an employee while minimizing cost and maximizing profit. From a bottom-line perspective, it’s a brilliant model, but it’s not quite as impressive if you value your people.
Think about it—if you want to get ahead, you’re taught to go the extra mile, take on more responsibilities, and above all, be a team player. Meanwhile, corporate budgets for recruitment, retention, mental health support, and work-life balance remain razor-thin. Why? Because, you’re filling that void.
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), burnout is an occupational hazard resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been effectively managed. Burnout’s defining features are easy to identify—exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficiency stem from deeply ingrained systemic dysfunction—not individual weakness. They further note that organizations play a critical role in shaping workplace culture that either promotes or prevents burnout.
Well—yes—burnout isn’t about your inability to manage stress – it’s about an employer’s failure to create a healthy work environment. And the truth is—pushing employees to the brink of burnout makes companies richer. Employees on the verge of collapse still tend to get their work done—until they quit or go on a mental health leave—but if they do leave, they’re replaceable.
The Great Gaslighting of Employee Well-Being
Have a good look around your workplace. Chances are there is some ‘Burnout Band-Aid’ program designed to make you feel like your suffering is benign and taken seriously. It could be a ‘no meeting Friday’ (where your manager still schedules meetings), perhaps a do-it-yourself wellness app, or—a personal favorite—”mandatory self-care training.” The appearance of caring is not a strategy – nor a solution. These puddle-deep initiatives don’t address the fact you’d be overworked, under-reduced, and likely to be compensated for the volunteer hours you put in after your workday officially ends.
In an article by Harvard Business Review article, researchers note that burnout isn’t about working too much—it’s about surviving in a work environment that is likely toxic, unsupportive, and devoid of understanding that you have the right to disconnect and have time off. They note three key factors that drive burnout: overload, lack of control, and insufficient reward.
Burnout is fanned by an ‘unrelenting hustle’ culture, which kills employee and organizational success long-term. When the prize goes to high performers so much that organizations will disregard the damage it causes to the employees. Yet, instead of addressing these structural failures, employers keep pushing individual solutions, shifting the blame onto employees.
What Needs to Change?
Beth Brown, MSW, INHC, Director of Health & Well-Being at ComPsych, a global leader in offering mental health, well-being, and absence management support, highlights that burnout is often fueled by “poor workplace policies and practices, particular roles and personalities that pose a greater risk, and outdated, ineffective systems.” She notes that even well-intentioned wellness programs can feel hollow when workplace cultures remain unsupportive, leading employees to view them as performative rather than meaningful solutions.
Brown also points out that burnout frequently stems from a disconnect between employees and their organization’s values. When individuals feel “taken for granted, under-compensated, or like they need to mask their true selves,” confidence and motivation erode, leaving them questioning their purpose at work.
At the end of the day – this isn’t rocket science nor is it a new issue, in fact in a 2020 survey from Spring Health, it was noted that 76% of American workers reported experiencing burnout annually. So, if an organization truly wants to prevent burnout and put people first, they need to do better:
Reduce excessive workloads: Stop glorifying overwork and hire enough staff.
Respect boundaries: No, employees shouldn’t be answering emails at 10 pm. The right to disconnect should be company culture.
Fix toxic leadership: Bad managers create burnout, so train them up or replace them.
Pay for actual mental health support: Free yoga classes don’t fix workplace toxicity – granted they can help.
Allow flexibility: Employees aren’t machines, so give them autonomy over their schedules. They will get the work done, so provide that space.
Brown emphasizes that work-life balance needs reframing, suggesting that “work-life harmony” is a more realistic goal, as balance implies an unattainable 50/50 split. She advocates for flexible work arrangements and clear workload expectations, noting that actual well-being initiatives must be backed by systemic policy changes rather than just surface-level perks.
Employers need to own the burnout they create. It’s them, not you. And remember this: your job will replace you in a week if you burn out, but your body, mind, and relationships won’t recover as quickly. Protect yourself because your employer won’t.