In 2023, burnout remains a widespread issue in Canada, with between a quarter and a third of employees feeling its effects, and 36% reporting that their burnout has worsened compared to the previous year. Despite this, workplaces have not made significant strides in addressing the root causes of burnout, such as overwhelming workloads and toxic work cultures. Instead, employees have resorted to "quiet quitting," where they perform only their required tasks without going above and beyond. While this strategy helps protect workers from overwork and emotional depletion, it also highlights how workplaces are failing to take burnout seriously enough.
Burnout and Quiet Quitting
Burnout, as defined by the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, includes emotional exhaustion, detachment from work, cynicism, and a sense of low accomplishment. Quiet quitting, on the other hand, refers to employees consciously stepping back from overworking and instead sticking to their job’s basic responsibilities. Quiet quitting, for many, has become a form of self-preservation, allowing employees to maintain boundaries between their personal and professional lives.
The continued rise in burnout signals that organizations aren’t addressing these deeper issues. As a result, work remains a primary source of stress, with employees experiencing too much pressure, unsupportive work cultures, and little relief from their workloads. The persistent stress caused by this dynamic has led many employees to feel disengaged, with a third of Canadians having left a job due to burnout. Moreover, this burnout crisis is contributing to retention challenges for a quarter of Canadian businesses.
How Workplaces Can Address Burnout
To effectively combat burnout, employers need to re-examine the workloads they assign to their employees. One important step is ensuring that job expectations are realistic and that employees are able to complete their tasks within a reasonable time frame. Beyond that, addressing burnout requires tackling toxic work cultures that devalue employee well-being, discourage work-life balance, and fail to support their employees emotionally and practically.
Leadership plays a critical role in creating a supportive and empathetic workplace culture. Leaders need to actively listen to their employees, understand their challenges, and take concrete actions to improve the work environment. Empty words are not enough; leaders must foster a culture that prioritizes work-life balance and employee well-being over profits and relentless productivity. This kind of supportive environment can help employees feel more motivated, satisfied, and engaged.
Another key factor in addressing burnout is recognizing that higher salaries alone are not sufficient to retain employees. Many workers, particularly those experiencing burnout, place greater value on work-life balance and flexibility than on financial compensation. Employers should provide benefits that enable employees to recharge and avoid burnout, such as prolonged or even unlimited paid leave and more paid days off.
In addition to time off, flexible work arrangements have become essential to fostering employee well-being. A growing number of companies are adopting four-day workweeks as a strategy to improve morale and reduce burnout. The option to work remotely, even part-time, is also an important factor, as it allows employees to better manage their work alongside personal responsibilities.
The Impact of Flexibility, Especially on Women
Flexibility is particularly critical for employees who have caregiving responsibilities, many of whom are women. In many households, women still take on the majority of care work, and this imbalance can lead to burnout, especially for working mothers. Statistics show that women with young children take significantly more time off work for family responsibilities than men do. This added pressure leaves many mothers feeling drained and struggling to balance their paid work with their home responsibilities.
In Canada, more than a third of working mothers report difficulties arranging child care, and they are 20% more likely than fathers to consider quitting their jobs due to these challenges. Given these realities, it’s clear that employers need to accommodate and support employees who have caregiving responsibilities. Companies that offer flexibility should also be mindful not to view employees who take advantage of these accommodations as less reliable or committed than those who work longer hours in the office.
Moving Toward a Healthier Workplace Culture
Some companies are already taking steps to address the root causes of burnout by rethinking how they structure work. Employers that are serious about preventing burnout are focusing on reducing workloads and offering benefits like flexible work schedules, paid leave, and remote work options. These initiatives signal a positive shift toward a more sustainable work environment where employees can thrive without sacrificing their mental health or personal lives.
Workplaces that prioritize employee well-being and offer flexibility will not only retain their talent but also create a healthier, more engaged workforce. Employees who feel supported are more likely to be motivated, productive, and creative, benefiting the organization as a whole.
To truly combat burnout and prevent quiet quitting from becoming the norm, organizations must make a concerted effort to re-examine their expectations, workloads, and workplace cultures. This involves adopting supportive leadership practices, offering flexibility, and creating environments where employees can maintain a healthy work-life balance. By doing so, companies can break the cycle of burnout and create a more sustainable, fulfilling workplace for all employees.
reference article: https://theconversation.com/if-companies-want-to-stop-quiet-quitting-they-need-to-take-burnout-seriously-207289
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