Breaking Burnout: Rethinking Workload, Rest and Responsibility

Over the last few years, burnout has evolved from being a buzzword to a business-critical issue.

From unmanageable workloads to blurred boundaries between work and rest, chronic stress is undermining employee wellbeing, performance, and retention.

If organisations want to prevent burnout and support sustainable performance, we need to rethink how we manage energy, not just time. That means going beyond short-term fixes and embedding smarter ways of working across three key areas: workload, rest and responsibility.

What is burnout – and why is it on the rise?

The World Health Organization defines burnout as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It’s characterised by:

• Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
• Increased mental distance from one’s job
• Reduced professional efficacy

In the UK, more than three-quarters of employees have experienced burnout, and the cost to employers – in lost productivity, absence and turnover – is rising.

Addressing burnout as a result of chronic stress is not just good practice – it’s a legal responsibility. Employers have a duty to safeguard employees from the risk of work-related stress, carrying out risk assessments as necessary and considering how to support a worker who becomes unwell due to a mental health issue as part of their first aid at work needs assessment. Our Good Day at Work Assessment, based on our Six Essentials, closely aligns with the HSE Management Standards and can support your organisation to fulfil this obligation.

Pressure Performance Curve

Why workload isn’t just about volume

A common misconception is that burnout is caused solely by too much work. In reality, it’s not just the volume of work that matters – it’s the nature of the workload, how it aligns with people’s skills and values, and whether there’s enough control and support to manage it.

Workload can be likened to physical training: to build strength and capability, athletes must push themselves – but also take time to rest and recover. Without recovery, muscles break down and injury becomes inevitable. The same is true in the workplace. We can grow through stretch and challenge, but we need time to reflect, reset and consolidate. Otherwise, the strain becomes chronic, leading to burnout.

Through our Good Day at Work model, we help organisations assess key Work Design factors – such as demand, control, role clarity and relationships – to ensure workloads are stretching yet sustainable.

Have you considered whether your people have the right tools, autonomy and support to manage their workload effectively?

The productivity paradox: Why rest is essential

In cultures that reward overwork, rest can be seen as a weakness – but it’s actually a strength. Without adequate recovery time, people can’t recharge the physical and emotional energy needed to stay focused, resilient and motivated.

We encourage employers to reframe rest as a performance strategy, not a perk. This means:

• Promoting psychological detachment from work (especially after hours)
• Creating space for restorative breaks during the day
• Ensuring holiday allowances are taken in full, and regularly
• Supporting healthy boundaries between work and life

This aligns with psychological models like Professor Paul Gilbert’s Threat-Drive-Soothe system, which suggests we exist across different emotional states. Without opportunities to engage the Soothe system – through rest, connection and calm – we move between threat and drive, which over time can lead to chronic stress and exhaustion.

Our data shows that leaders who prioritise recovery – for themselves and their teams – build more resilient, engaged and high-performing workplaces.

Shared responsibility: Who owns burnout?

Burnout prevention is a shared responsibility between:

1. Employees, who need to manage their energy and ask for support
2. Line managers, who shape daily workload, expectations and support
3. Organisations, who must design work that supports wellbeing and productivity and manage stress risk as per the HSE guidance.

At Robertson Cooper, we work with all three levels – using data-driven insights and tailored interventions to address stress at its source.

Using the Good Day at Work framework to break burnout

Our Good Day at Work framework is a practical, evidence-based approach to improving workplace wellbeing. It helps organisations:

• Understand what’s driving stress and burnout in their culture
• Design work that supports energy, engagement and performance
• Build resilience at individual, team and organisational levels
• Create the conditions for more good days at work – and fewer burnt-out ones

Importantly, our Six Essentials closely mirror the HSE’s Management Standards – enabling organisations to not only improve wellbeing, but also meet regulatory requirements for managing workplace stress.

The Six Essentials

Whether it’s through our Good Day at Work Assessment, training programmes for managers and employees or consultancy support, we equip organisations and their people with the tools to go beyond surface-level solutions and make meaningful change.

Final thought: It’s time to break the burnout cycle

If we’re serious about building healthier, more sustainable workplaces, we need to rethink our relationship with workload, rest and responsibility. Burnout isn’t inevitable – but it does require a conscious, coordinated effort to change how we work.

At Robertson Cooper, we’re here to help you make that change – using insight, psychology and practical tools to turn burnout risk into wellbeing gains.

Is burnout bubbling under the surface in your organisation?

Get in touch to explore how our Good Day at Work solutions can help you manage energy, workload and stress – for good.