'Workers have been on a rollercoaster ride since 2020'
The number of employee reviews that mention "burnout" on employment platform Glassdoor has reached the highest level since 2016.
As of the third quarter of 2024, reviews with the word "burnout" are now 44% above pre-pandemic levels during the fourth quarter of 2019.
The rate has also remained elevated since the third quarter of 2021 when the labour shortage era was in full swing, according to Glassdoor.
The platform attributed the high levels of burnout to employees being stretched thin as their employers pull back on hiring.
Employees on the platform, on the other hand, often blame burnout on management over unrealistic expectations, lack of clarity, or lack of support, according to Glassdoor.
"Ultimately, workers have been on a rollercoaster ride since 2020, and burnout may be one reason employees remain weary with and wary of employers," it said on the report.
Rebounding employee confidence
Glassdoor also found that employee confidence slightly increased to 48.1% in July, from the 47.8% recorded in June — a much bigger growth from the record low recorded in February, according to Glassdoor.
"One possible explanation for weak employee sentiment is an overwhelming sense of burnout after the 2021-22 labour shortages era being followed by layoffs and sluggish hiring in 2023 and 2024," Glassdoor said in the report.
By seniority, employee confidence among entry-level workers dropped to 49% in July, while it remained relatively unchanged for mid-level (51.3%) and senior-level (66.6%) employees.
Meanwhile, the Legal sector saw the highest employee sentiment in July with 62.1%, followed by the Human Resources and Staffing (60.4%).
On the other hand, workers from the Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation sector saw the lowest employee sentiment with 38%.