The working conditions likely to cause burnout

The survey of over 1,110 professionals was conducted by salary benchmarking site Emolument.com, which assessed various working conditions to determine the sectors and employees most likely at risk of burnout.

The simple question “have you ever had a burnout?” was asked, and the company broke down the findings to determine what is likely to trigger career exhaustion.

(1) Earnings

First off, it Emolument looked at salary. With a salary range of below £20,000 and over £100,000, the firm found that there is a direct correlation between low earnings and burnout.

Indeed, 90 per cent of those earning under £20,000 claim they’ve suffered burnout. This was attributed to the fact they’re more likely to work longer hours with little in return, enduring poor working conditions.

By comparison, higher earners are least likely to feel the burden of burnout, with just 53 per cent of those aged over £100,000 answering the question with a yes.

(2) Qualifications

The next consideration for workplace conditions surrounding burnout, Emolument assessed the role that education plays. Seemingly, those without degrees are more likely to be most at risk.

On the other end of the spectrum, those staying at university to study for over five years to secure a Masters or PhD offers graduates more scope, the study suggests. This means that when considering working conditions, those with a top education have more options available to them, meaning them can afford to sidestep stressful jobs.

(3) Sectors

The last area for burnout-related working conditions that Emolument considered was sector.

In terms of the worst marketplaces for burnout, healthcare and the hospitality industries were joint first with 82 per cent of employees admitting they had suffered fatigue. There’s a clear irony with the fact those working in the healthcare industry endure poor working conditions and burnout, as their own health plummets while caring for others.

Meanwhile, insurance is the sector where workers are least experience burnout, with banking in third – although Emolument believes that the banking culture may encourage professionals to keep problems under wraps and power on.

“Alpha jobs such has consulting or banking are unlikely to provide adequate structures for professionals to recover from a burn-out,” said Alice Leguay, Co-Founder & COO at Emolument.com.

“Moreover, stigma attached to burn-outs is likely to deal such a blow to a top performing professional’s career that they are unlikely to thrive should they recover and return to their teams.

“Having been accustomed to outperforming throughout their university and professional lives, burn-outs are still taboo for many, often perceived as a lack of discipline and willpower and rarely acknowledged as a valid condition.”

Image: Shutterstock

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