Employee Burnout — Worse than You Thought?

The 15th annual Aflac WorkForces Report finds employee burnout at a six-year high. Aflac Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Owenby said Aflac’s conclusions come from conversations with1,002 employers and 2,000 employees.

• 72% of US employees are moderately to very highly stressed at work
• That’s a 6-year high
• 74% of Generation Z employees say they are experiencing moderate levels of burnout
• Gen Z took the number-one spot from millennials of which 66% say they’re experiencing moderate levels of burnout
• Fewer employees than the 54% in 2024 say their employers care about their mental health
• In 2025 less than half — 48% — of employees say their employers care about their mental health
• 35% say heavy workloads are driving their stress
• The most stress is being experienced by African Americans and younger generations

“New Aflac WorkForces Report data around the prevalence of stress and burnout should raise a red flag and is certainly a matter that requires attention,” Owenby said. “Breaking the cycle of stress and burnout may begin with employers carefully analyzing employees’ responsibilities both on and off the clock and threading the needle between productivity and home life balance. Developing a broader understanding of what is driving stress can support the creation of programs that alleviate burnout, which, in turn, can deliver a higher level of productivity.”

The study said there are now more stressors outside of work. All generations are worried about finances, personal responsibility and worries about the future.

• 44% of employees say they couldn’t pay $1,000 of out-of-pocket costs for an unexpected illness or an injury
• For African Americans that figure is 54%
• 51% of Gen Z couldn’t come up with that $1,000
• For Hispanics that figure is 46%

The study found American workers anxious about rising drug prices and healthcare costs. They call it “medanxiety” as over 52% of employees say they’re anxious about costs to their health not covered by insurance.

• Medanxiety hits Gen Z the hardest at 61%
• A year ago that figure was 54%
• 45% of employees say they are putting off medical care or treatment because they can’t afford it
• 40% aren’t clear whether their insurance company covers treatment
• Most employees underestimate the financial burden of a serious health crisis
• 72% think out-of-pocket costs for a year of cancer treatment would be under $2,000

The survey also looks at how employers are viewing things:

• 72% of employers think their employees understand their total healthcare costs
• Just 54% of employees say they understand
• 42% of employees are sure they understand everything about their health insurance policy
• That’s down from 49% in 2024
• 69% of employees wish their company would provide them with more information about their benefits
• 54% say their employees only discuss benefits at the time they’re hired

Supplemental insurance — like that provided by Aflac — is a growing need:

• 90% believe the need for supplemental insurance is growing
• 94% of Hispanics feel that way
• 50% of Hispanics are likely to purchase supplemental insurance
• 93% of African Americans feel that way
• 60% of African Americans are likely to purchase supplemental insurance
• 94% of Gen Z feel supplemental insurance is a growing need

But just 34% of employers say they offer supplemental insurance.

“Supplemental insurance…can help ease financial stress and bring added peace of mind to their workforce, improving well-being that can lead to increased productivity and retention,” Owenby said. “This can have a profound impact on business outcomes.”

The report also looked at what employers can do to make the workplace positive for employees. Helping them feel like they belong, and have purpose adds to job satisfaction, eases stress, helps with burnout and as a result, the employees is more engaged.

• Just 30% of employees feeling like they belong experience workplace stress
• 56% of those who don’t feel like they belong experience workplace stress
• 55% of those feeling like they belong have lower levels of burnout
• 78% of those feeling like they don’t belong have high levels of burnout
• 77% of those belonging have higher overall job satisfaction
• 28% of those that don’t feel like they belong are satisfied at the workplace

“Employees’ sense of belonging influences how they feel about their roles, colleagues, and organization as a whole,” Owenby concluded. “We should all take note and explore ways to build cultures that genuinely support opportunities for a more engaged workforce — one that is grounded in purpose and value. Belonging is a powerful driver of employee well-being.”

Source link: Carrier Management — https://bit.ly/43NY4kT