Preventing work burnout is now a business priority

Work burnout is on the rise. In a recent Robert Half survey of more than 1,300 professionals, 59% say they feel burned out at work, and 33% say they feel more burned out than they did a year ago. The top causes of burnout? Thirty-eight percent cite heavier workloads due to understaffed teams, 26% say they feel stuck in their career and 25% say lower team morale after structuring or reductions.

Many employees may have a balanced workload and aren’t feeling the pressure. However, a substantial portion could be pushing through increasing demands, and signs of burnout may not be apparent until it’s too late. Replacing those workers in a tight hiring market such as this one can be a challenge for employers, especially for organizations with a reputation as a demanding place to work.

What can you do to prevent or counter employee exhaustion and exasperation? Here are six tips to help prevent work burnout in your organization.

Work burnout in 2026—Here’s how employers can respond 1. Don’t pull back on hiring 2. Help by staffing gaps with contract talent 3. Reassess roles 4. Be realistic 5. Recognize contributions 6. Emphasize wellness

1. Don’t pull back on hiring

Hiring managers should continue searching for new hires even when it’s difficult to find talent. While you shouldn’t compromise on quality, consider broadening your search to include candidates with high potential who may not have logged as much time in the role or have the typical credentials or degree.

If your organization wants to pull back on hiring because of budgets, be ready to advocate for the advantages of placing open positions. Collect and provide data—for example, on employee turnover rates, absenteeism or increased workload—all of which employers report as top consequences of unfilled roles.

2. Help by staffing gaps with contract talent

Contract workers could be the solution you’re looking for right now. More than half (55%) of hiring managers we surveyed plan to increase the number of contract or temporary professionals this year.

Hiring contract professionals delivers more benefits than just a temporary fix. When working with a talent solutions firm like Robert Half, you’ll have access to a deeper, more diverse candidate pool and, with little effort, bring on skilled, experienced professionals who can quickly scale up your team quickly and efficiently.

Looking to hire contract professionals? Learn how Robert Half can help.

3. Reassess roles

Are your employees in positions that suit their strengths and interests? Are you providing clearly defined roles and expectations? AI isn’t a leading cause yet, but it is starting to contribute to workplace fatigue in new ways. According to Robert Half survey, 40% of employees feel pressure to be more productive, 35% are overwhelmed from constantly learning new tools and 24% have concerns about job security if AI skills aren’t adopted. To help with employee retention and avoid burnout, try to ensure your workers don’t become frustrated laboring at tasks that don’t make the best use of their abilities.

Also, communicate with your team members regularly and keep everyone in the loop when priorities change. This is especially important if you have employees working remotely all or some of the time. In addition, try to include your staff in the planning process for new projects and initiatives so they will feel more invested in the success of those undertakings.

4. Be realistic

One sure way to set employees on the short track to burnout is burdening them with overly ambitious or unclear assignments. Take a step back and ask yourself the following questions: Am I assigning manageable workloads to my employees? Do my employees have all the resources and information they need to handle their duties and assignments?

If you conclude that the answers are “no,” you’ll want to rethink your current approach and adjust priorities so your team members can realistically and consistently complete good work on time without burning the candle at both ends.

5. Recognize contributions

Remembering to say “thank you” to your employees can go a long way toward preventing work burnout. Offering appreciation can be as simple as a shoutout during a staff meeting or as significant as nominating your team for internal and external awards.

Robert Half has some great ideas for how to recognize and reward employees, especially hybrid team members.

6. Emphasize wellness

Encourage your workers to reestablish work-life balance with clear boundaries between their work and personal lives, especially if they have moved into remote or hybrid work arrangements. More than half of workers (54%) say they didn’t use all their time off last year. Among them, nearly one-third (32%) are concerned their workload would pile up while away, while 27% say they lack backup support in their role. Emphasize that you want to hear from them if something isn’t working so you can collaborate on a solution.

Encourage your team members to take advantage of any perks and benefits your business provides to help support employee health and well-being. Build awareness around those programs and make sure all your staff members, whether working remotely or onsite, have access to the same or similar offerings.