Employees Continue to Point to Workload and
Staff Shortages as Sources of Burnout
ARLINGTON, Va., June 6, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Employee burnout among the government workforce
remains stubbornly high at (41 percent), but is down from 47
percent since Eagle Hill Consulting's most recent employee burnout
survey. Gen X government employees report higher levels of burnout
(49 percent), as do employees with children in the household (49
percent).
Workers who experience burnout say the top cause is their
workload (48 percent), followed by staff shortages and juggling
personal and professional life, both at (44 percent). Eagle Hill
has been tracking burnout remedies since the early days of the
COVID-19 pandemic. From that time, workers have consistently
reported that these remedies would alleviate their stress:
increased flexibility (69 percent), a four-day work week (68
percent), decreased workload (65 percent), and working from home
(60 percent).
Read the 2024 Understanding Government Employee Burnout
infographic.
"We're seeing burnout continuing to ease among government
employees, but it's still too high," says Melissa Jezior, president and chief executive
officer of Eagle Hill Consulting. "Our latest worker burnout
research finds substantial burnout levels, and the burnout
drivers have remained virtually unchanged. Workers continue to say
that the burnout solution lies in offering more flexibility and
addressing their workload levels."
"It's important that government employers pay attention this
high level of burnout, along with employee views on causes and
remedies. When workers are burnt out, they're less productive,
engaged, and innovative. And they're more likely to leave their
jobs, especially given that opportunities in the private sector
typically offer higher pay. Worker views provide a roadmap for
addressing burnout, and agencies that consider that input and take
action will be best positioned to achieve their mission," Jezior
said.
Additional survey findings are as follows:
- Among government employees who experience burnout due to staff
shortages, 85 percent said the impact is covering the workload for
unfilled positions. Fifty-three percent said the impact is helping
others learn their job, 42 percent said it's training new hires,
and 25 percent said it's recruiting and interviewing new hires.
- Looking across generations, Gen X (49 percent) reports the
highest burnout levels, followed by Millennials (42 percent) and
Gen Z (36 percent).
- Forty-one percent of government employees who report burnout
say they are not comfortable telling their manager they feel burned
out.
- Sixty-four percent say that technology changes in the coming
year will not impact their stress levels.
These findings are from the 2024 Eagle Hill Consulting Workforce
Burnout Survey conducted by Ipsos from February 6-9, 2024. The survey included 1,247
respondents from a random sample of employees across the U.S.,
including 515 government employees. Eagle Hill conducts the polling
twice annually to maintain a pulse on worker burnout.
Eagle Hill Consulting LLC is a woman-owned business that
provides unconventional management consulting services in the areas
of Strategy & Performance, Talent, and Change. The company's
expertise in delivering innovative solutions to unique challenges
spans across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. A leading
authority on employee sentiment, Eagle Hill is headquartered in the
Washington, D.C. metropolitan
area, with employees across the U.S. and offices in Boston and Seattle. More information is available at
www.eaglehillconsulting.com.
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SOURCE Eagle Hill Consulting LLC