The number of employees with burnout complaints will further increase to 20 percent in 2022. This is evident from a Tuesday figures of the National Survey on Working Conditions (NEA), which research agency TNO and Statistics Netherlands (CBS) conduct annually. Young people in particular suffer from stress: one in four workers between the ages of 25 and 34 suffer from burnout complaints as a result of their work.
Women generally experience burnout complaints more often than men, with 21.9 percent compared to 18.3 percent. The number of serious complaints also increased among young women: the percentage rose from 25 percent in 2020 to 29 percent in 2022. About 23 percent of young men suffered from burnout complaints last year. Highly educated people also experience burnout complaints more often than lower educated people. The largest increase in absenteeism due to work-related psychological complaints was therefore seen among highly educated women.
Read also: What exactly is a burnout? Floor Rusman looks for the answer in recently published books
The increase in the number of burnout complaints is visible in almost all sectors studied. Particularly in healthcare and education, sectors in which relatively many young women work, the number of employees with complaints is high, and the group without complaints is getting smaller. Also in the ICT sector there are still many employees with burnout complaints, after a rapid increase in 2021. According to TNO, this increase was “possibly caused by the rapid changes in work due to corona”.
Tiredness and an empty feeling
In the survey, the researchers specifically asked about the experience of burnout symptoms such as recurrent fatigue and a lack of motivation. The study did not focus on diagnosed burnouts and long-term sick reports. The most common complaint is that employees feel “empty” at the end of the day. This applies to 34 percent of the respondents. Also, 23 percent of them feel “tired when getting up and confronted” with work, and 17 percent think that working with other people “demands a lot from them.”
Additional research by TNO shows that pressure to perform, social pressure and uncertainties in life are the main causes of stress and burnout complaints among young employees. “Young people experience a lot of pressure to perform, from society, work and socially. The feeling of always having to do everything right, being constantly available, caring tasks, and the combination of work and family cause a lot of stress,” says in the report.
Social and financial uncertainty also play an important role. “Young people cited the constant stream of negative news about climate, nitrogen, war and Covid-19 as examples. Inflation, high mortgage payments and student debt were often mentioned from a financial perspective.” In addition, social media such as LinkedIn and Instagram also contribute to the stress that young employees experience and distract them from their work.
‘Start the conversation’
In a reaction to the figures, Justine Feitsma, the chairman of the CNV Jongeren trade union, told the ANP news agency that employers should do more to prevent burnouts among young employees. “We have been saying for a number of years: pay attention, it is worrying that so many people are falling over. Especially in the places where we need them the most. But almost nothing is done with it.” According to the union chairman, companies can do much more about prevention. “Start the conversation. On time. And it also requires a broader social view. What kind of society do we want to be?”
TNO and Statistics Netherlands have been conducting the National Working Conditions Survey since 2003. To this end, they annually organize a sample of about 140,000 employees between the ages of 15 and 75, which will be completed by more than 60,000 employees in 2022. By weighting the collected data in terms of gender, age, education level, industry and region, the research agencies can make representative statements about the entire Dutch working population.
Also read this interview: Burnout or fatigue: that makes a big difference