Burnout is on the rise among professionals in Canada, a new survey suggests.
According to a survey of 1,500 workers across Canada, nearly half feel burned out—and almost one-third are more burned out now than they were the year prior.
The survey, conducted by talent solutions and business consulting firm Robert Half, confirms that trouble is increasing: in 2024, just 42% of Canadian professionals were burned out, which was already up markedly from the 2023 figure of 33%.
Why are Canadians burning out?
Robert Half’s report found that long hours and oversized workloads are the primary offenders (39% of Canadians cited this as a factor). These issues lead to poor work-life balance, another cause of burnout (28%). Other factors include a lack of managerial support (28%) and a lack of career growth opportunities (also 28%).
And as talent burns out, employers also struggle.
“In addition to being an increasingly worrying issue for professionals, burnout is a major challenge for employers as well,” says Koula Vasilopoulos, who serves as Senior Managing Director for Robert Half Canada.
According to a separate survey of more than 1,000 managers, 39% said burnout among existing staff is a major challenge they face when unable to fill a necessary role. Other repercussions they report facing are decreased productivity (40%), delayed project timelines (34%), higher turnover (30%), and lost revenue (24%).
“When employees are burned out due to heavy workloads and understaffed teams, businesses risk decreased productivity and morale, losing valued team members, and revenue loss due to falling behind on key timelines for critical projects,” the director stated.
To battle burnout, businesses should encourage, not discourage, time off and “mental health days.” Employers should also consider hiring contracted professionals when necessary to ease workloads on permanent staff. Managers should be open with communication, flexible with staffing solutions, and helpful when it comes to meeting timelines, the report offers.
