Two-thirds of workers fear burning out this year

Almost two-thirds of UK workers fear they are risk of burning out this year as businesses cut back on resources to battle the growing costs of employment, a poll has suggested.

The survey of more than 1,200 UK workers from recruiter Robert Half found that 62% of staff believe businesses are at risk of over-working their employees this year. A similar percentage (60%) felt companies were too often prioritising profit over the wellbeing of their people.

Almost a third (30%) of workers indicated that the government’s increase in National Insurance Contributions (NICs) will put more pressure on them to do more with less, leaving them more at risk of burning out.

The UK S&P Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) has revealed that employers are cutting staff at the fastest rate in nearly four years, Robert Half also pointed out.

Younger demographics are seemingly at greater risk of burnout in view of the increase in NICs. More than a third (37%) of 18-34-year-olds said they were worried this will lead to more pressure on them to do more with less.

The majority (65%) of those in this age group also revealed that employers are at risk of over-working them this year.

Matt Weston, senior managing director UK & Ireland at Robert Half, said: “Our research shows that the majority of the workforce feel that their employers’ priorities are not in the right places, with 60% saying businesses are more concerned about profit and productivity than their people.

“Nonetheless, budgets are clearly tight at the moment and businesses are struggling to find ways to balance the books. The worry from the workforce is that they will have to shoulder the burden and do more work with less resources, likely leading to burnout.

“Aside from protecting staff’s mental wellbeing, businesses need to be mindful of the potential long-term impact on their employer brand as this could likely have a detrimental impact on staff engagement, morale and hiring in the future,” Weston added.

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