Catherine Lawson explores what leads to burnout in the workplace, and how it can be avoided. This article is from Communicate magazine's print issue.

The Mental Wellbeing Audit 2023-2024, a collaboration between industry trade bodies the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA), alongside strategic insight specialists Opinium, found that nine in 10 employees working in PR experienced poor mental health in the last year. It is a figure which mirrors the findings in the broader Mental Health UK Burnout 2024 Report, which audited multiple industries and reported the same high levels of stress at a system wide level over the same period. Regardless of sector, workplace stress and burnout are on the rise. Understanding the causes, symptoms and prevention strategies is vital if we are to bring a workforce back from the brink.

If we consider stress as a continuum, burnout would be at the far end: it is the result of chronic stress left unchecked. When we experience extreme levels of stress for too long, we reach a state of complete mental, emotional and physical exhaustion which, as defined by the World Health Organisation back in 2019, results in burnout. According to Mental Health UK’s report, of the 90% of adults who reported high levels of stress last year, 20% hit their burnout. Despite that, nearly half of UK employees surveyed said their employer did not have a plan in place to identify or prevent burnout. 

“For businesses, mitigating the risk of burnout should be an organisational and moral imperative”

“Stress at work is death by a thousand paper cuts,” says Tessa West, professor of psychology at New York University. “It is a hundred different little deals that feel like one giant big deal.” West recommends regular communication with employees. “Bosses tend to feel they have the resources to put out little fires but not big ones. Have the conversations early and often; you’ll feel like you have much more agency, and your locus of control will go up.”

The prevalence of stress was highlighted in the Mental Wellbeing Audit, which found that one third of PR professionals had been diagnosed with a mental health condition. For 78% of those professionals the diagnosis was stress and for 56% the result was burnout. Of those experiencing stress, the top five causes were excessive workloads, impending deadlines, e-mail inbox overload, unclear expectations and the inability to affect change.

Further factors contributing to burnout were unearthed by Mental Health UK. Besides workload, reported as a main issue by over half of respondents, 45% described regularly working unpaid overtime, 42% described feeling isolated, 31% reported bullying or intimidation at work and 30% cited working in a fixed location. Across both reports the benefits of hybrid working were acknowledged.  

“A lack of confidence that employers will take concerns seriously can prevent staff from speaking up”

Many have found that hybrid work reduced workplace stress. On the flip side, part-time access to colleagues and the camaraderie which can fuel successful teams ensures that the social connections, which are vital in preventing feelings of isolation, are also available.

Universally, finding the sweet spot in the hybrid working model is impacting wellbeing: it’s a model which can support wellbeing and contribute to a strategy to prevent burnout.  Reflecting on the findings in the Mental Wellbeing Audit, however, Jon Gerlis, head of public relations and policy at the CIPR, encourages caution. “Hybrid working doesn't solve all the stress-related issues in our industry. As a service provider, we have an ‘always on’ culture, and comms are often left to the last minute.

“To support healthy hybrid working we need to shift to a more integrated approach. Embedding productive workflow practices early on in our relationships with clients and setting healthier boundaries around expectations is key. Ultimately, this means clarifying our understanding of PR and communications at a system-wide level.”

“When the culture authentically champions mental health and wellbeing, organisations pave the way for the safe communication needed to set healthy boundaries”

It is when the stresses around workload, culture or expectations are no longer sustainable that symptoms of burnout can arise and there are warning signs which should be on every employee’s and employer’s radar. Loss of motivation and feelings of overwhelm are often the first indicators, followed by behavioural changes and uncharacteristic negativity. For managers, this should be a major alarm bell: when good people go quiet, start listening. A loss of mental clarity and inability to focus signify the characteristic mental exhaustion associated with burnout. There is often a gradual withdrawal, where self-isolation becomes self-protection at the very time when positive connections and support are needed; colleagues who are at this point need kindness, not criticism.

And, not surprisingly, with the toll burnout takes at a systemic level, extreme exhaustion and physical ill health soon follow. The cost to the individual is profound and recovery spans months if not years. For businesses, mitigating the risk of burnout should be an organisational and moral imperative. When asked about their latest research, Charlotte Maxwell-Davies, head of workplace mental health at Mental Health UK, said: “Open conversations about stress and wellbeing within the workplace can help protect against burnout, but a lack of confidence that employers will take concerns seriously and wider stigma around mental health can prevent staff from speaking up.

“When good people go quiet, start listening”

“And as our last burnout report showed, 35% of employees wouldn't feel comfortable opening up about high levels of stress with line managers or senior leaders. Most of us only talk about our mental health and the support we need if we believe our employer's commitment to wellbeing is genuine.

“When wellbeing policies seem like box-ticking rather than real support, employees may feel unsupported, which discourages openness. This disconnect can be especially evident when organisations promote mental health without ensuring manageable workloads or providing sufficient resources.”

Culture, connection and communication emerge as the key principles. When a culture authentically champions mental health and wellbeing, organisations pave the way for the safe communication needed to set healthy boundaries: tackle toxic behaviors, challenge unrealistic expectations, build collaborative support networks and empower employees to retain control and a sense of agency in their work. The vehicles used to achieve those outcomes may vary from policies, training days or glossy visions, but they mean nothing and will have no impact if the culture has not shifted to enable the changes needed which will ultimately safeguard the workforce.