Two out of Four Australian Employees Are Burned Out At Their Current Jobs, According to UserTesting Survey

Australia, 15 September 2022: UserTesting (NYSE: USER), a leader in video-based human insight, conducted a survey to study the effects of employee burnout in Australia. As per the survey findings, 2 out of 4 Australian employees are burned out at their current job roles. Ninety percent of the Australian workforce stated workload as the major factor of their burnout whereas 20% stated monotony to be the prime cause of their stress. Interestingly, the sample set of this survey included professionals from across industries with 25% from tech backgrounds, followed by 15% working in the education and finance sectors respectively. 

Mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion leads to employee burnout, and creating high costs to employers. A recent McKinsey report aligns to the findings of the UserTesting survey, and stated that “the estimated cost of mental-health related absenteeism for business in Australia is around US $13.6 billion per annum.” The findings on burnout in Australia were a little lower than UserTesting’s findings, yet still a concern for employers, stating, “... that burnout in Australia stands around 28%.” In such cases, exploring new employment opportunities is a relief for some professionals. To check this, UserTesting asked Australian employees if they are looking for a job change. About 35% of Australians in the survey conducted showed an inclination toward job change. 

Employers Prevent Burnout With The Help Of Flexible Work Hours 
Burnout existed prior to the pandemic and it will continue to persist in the future as well. To ensure employee well-being and minimize burnout, employers should provide solutions to combat burnout. While enquiring what the companies are doing currently to reduce burnout, 50% of respondents indicated their employers provided flexible work hours, and 30% claimed to have provisions for counseling sessions. Furthermore, 10% said their employers were organizing social events and providing wellness programs. 

When asked about the suggested measures that companies could take to combat burnout, Australian employees recommended that their employers should ensure mandatory downtime after work hours, employee-care activities, and better/more specified deadlines.

Increased Work Hours Due To The Pandemic-Induced Shift In Office Patterns
The pandemic-induced lockdown forced companies to shift their work formats to remote where possible. This change led the companies as well as employees to realize the advantages of work-from-home opportunities, though one of its drawbacks was increased working hours as personal and work life began to blend.As per the findings, 45% of Australians said the lockdown and changing workplace dynamics led to increased work hours. 

Hybrid Work - A Means To Better Work-Life Balance
Remote working opportunities gained popularity during the pandemic as employees became comfortable with the new rhythm and began to see increased productivity. As businesses started to reopen, a new work model has evolved–hybrid work. Based on the flexibility that this work model provides, 90% of respondents surveyed stated that they can balance their personal and professional life better. Interestingly, 95% of Australians said that hybrid work has led to increased work satisfaction. As a result, many Australian companies have switched to a hybrid working model. Seventy-percent of respondents declared that they are still following the hybrid work model, while 15% reported working from the office and working from home respectively.