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Employee burnout risk reached a two-year high in August, according to Glint’s latest data insights report. 

Burnout risk had been gradually trending up year over year, but it spiked in March—just as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold—and continues to climb.

“Globally, employees are both mentally and emotionally exhausted, and they’ll be finishing the calendar year with very little left to give,” the report states.

In this new report, we pair a two-year look back on employee burnout with our latest employee feedback trends to plot a path forward for people leaders. Our People Science team lends their expertise to highlight the lessons we’ve learned over the past six months, and reminds us of time-tested habits leaders and organizations can use to support their employees. 

To measure employee burnout risk, we dive deep into Glint Narrative Intelligence to analyze the most common comments employees leave that signify risk—the term burnout, of course, but also terms like stress, workload, anxiety, and other related cues. Our metric is the average percent of these survey comments. 

Employees to employers: Make space for our whole selves

As the report points out, people worldwide have been coping with a range of extreme hardships this year, including the COVID-19 pandemic, historic natural disasters, and an ongoing reckoning with racial injustice. In addition, working parents with school-age children are being stretched to the limit. And many of these challenges have disproportionately impacted employees in underrepresented minority groups.   

Employees are human, and it’s no longer feasible to compartmentalize work and personal life, the report states. Employees expect their employers to not only embrace but also support them in all of their humanity.

The report takes a close look at how belonging, connection, well-being, and flexibility play a critical role in employee burnout.

“If you’re a people leader feeling overwhelmed by your employees’ needs, start with one of the most straightforward habits to help your employees: conversations,” the Glint People Science team says in the report. “Consistent, thoughtful conversations between manager and employee will help your organization support each employee as they work through their individual circumstances.”

To learn more about the findings, click the image below ⬇️. And check out our resources on building the new world of work as you reimagine your organization’s future.