What is Burnout?
A state of chronic physical and emotional exhaustion caused by prolonged workplace stress, characterized by cynicism, detachment, and reduced professional efficacy.
Definition
Burnout is a psychological syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stressors that have not been successfully managed. The World Health Organization recognizes burnout as an occupational phenomenon characterized by three dimensions: overwhelming exhaustion (feeling drained of physical and emotional energy), cynicism and depersonalization (feeling detached from work, colleagues, and the organization's mission), and reduced professional efficacy (feeling ineffective and doubting the value of one's contributions).
Burnout develops gradually through a cycle of escalating demands and diminishing resources. It often begins with enthusiasm and overcommitment, progresses through chronic stress and fatigue, and culminates in full burnout where the individual feels empty, hopeless, and unable to function at previous levels. Recovery requires significant changes in work conditions, boundaries, and often professional support.
Critically, burnout is not an individual failing — it is an organizational outcome. The leading causes are excessive workload, lack of control over work, insufficient reward and recognition, breakdown of community and belonging, absence of fairness, and values conflict. Organizations that address burnout at the systemic level — redesigning workloads, empowering autonomy, strengthening manager support, and building psychological safety — see far better results than those that offer individual resilience training while leaving toxic conditions unchanged.
Why It Matters
Burnout affects an estimated 76% of workers at some point in their careers and costs organizations significantly through turnover (burned-out employees are 2.6x more likely to leave), absenteeism, presenteeism (being physically present but mentally checked out), and diminished quality of work. Burnout is also contagious — one burned-out team member can drag down the energy and morale of an entire group. For HR leaders, detecting and preventing burnout through early warning systems and systemic interventions is essential for sustaining organizational performance.
How to Measure
Use validated burnout assessment tools like the Maslach Burnout Inventory or the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Track proxy indicators including engagement score trends, absenteeism patterns, overtime hours, PTO usage rates, and sentiment analysis of open-ended feedback. Monitor at the team level to identify hotspots where workload or management issues may be driving burnout.
How Unmatched Helps
Unmatched's Well-being Tracking feature helps organizations measure, understand, and act on burnout through AI-powered analytics and actionable insights — all within one connected platform.
Explore Well-being TrackingRelated Terms
Employee Well-being
The holistic state of an employee's physical, mental, emotional, financial, and social health as influenced by their work experience.
Workplace Stress
The physical and emotional strain that occurs when job demands exceed an employee's resources, capabilities, or capacity to cope.
Work-Life Balance
The equilibrium between professional responsibilities and personal life that allows employees to manage both without chronic stress or neglect of either domain.
Quiet Quitting
The practice of employees doing only the minimum requirements of their job — withdrawing discretionary effort without formally resigning.