Burnout Is Costing Employers Talent, With 44% Reporting Staff Losses

Nearly half (44%) of UK employers say burnout has contributed to unwanted employee attrition over the past 12 months, according to one of the nation’s leading outplacement experts.

As organisations head into the busy festive period, the new research from INTOO UK & Ireland reveals workplace burnout may be a far greater challenge than employers realise, with a significant gap between how HR leaders and managers perceive both the problem and the success of burnout prevention initiatives.

Conducted among 1,000 respondents from UK organisations employing 250 or more people, it was revealed in the Future World of Work report 2026 that while burnout is widely recognised as a driver of employee turnover, there is less agreement on whether existing interventions are working.

Owen Morgan, Managing Director at INTOO UK & Ireland, said: “Our Future World of Work findings suggest many organisations are continuing to treat burnout as an individual wellbeing issue rather than an organisational design challenge.

“Managers are telling us that current interventions aren’t addressing the root causes. If employers want to improve retention and performance, especially in the lead up to Christmas and beyond, they need to focus on workloads, resources, leadership capability and workplace culture, not simply provide support once people have already reached crisis point.”

While 27% of HR leaders believe their organisation’s approach to preventing burnout is ineffective, that figure rises to 43% among managers.

The research suggests managers, who are often closest to day-to-day employee experiences, are seeing the impact of excessive workloads, resource shortages and workplace pressures more acutely than those designing people strategies.

When asked what would need to change to make high performance genuinely sustainable, respondents overwhelmingly pointed to organisational factors rather than personal resilience.

The key themes employees outlined were:

• Pay, reward and recognition (21%)
• Workload management and resourcing (20%)
• Leadership behaviour and trust (19%)
• Staffing levels and recruitment (15%)
• Work-life balance and flexible working (12%)

Many respondents cited chronic understaffing, unrealistic workloads and poor leadership behaviours as barriers to sustainable performance, with comments highlighting concerns that “one person is doing the work of two” and that organisations are operating with insufficient resources to meet expectations. The research also reveals significant generational differences.

Matthew Collier, Business Development Director at INTOO UK & Ireland, added: “Burnout is not a personal failing. The evidence shows employees see the barriers to sustainable performance as structural rather than individual.

“Organisations that want to retain top talent need to redesign work itself, ensuring workloads, resources and expectations are aligned. Sustainable performance is ultimately a business issue, not just a wellbeing issue.”

The findings also suggest mid-career professionals may be facing particular pressures as they balance leadership responsibilities, increasing organisational demands and concerns about long-term career progression.

Part of Gi Group Holding, one the world’s largest and fastest growing HR and recruitment providers, INTOO offers tailored career transition and employee development solutions, designed to meet the specific needs and challenges of modern workforces.