The real cost of burnout and how to avoid it
Burnout can threaten our finances and damage our health, but are there ways to keep it at bay?
You don't want to hit a wall like my friend Ellie* did.
It started when her boss doubled her workload. He told her it was a great opportunity and to outsource as much as she could to others in her team. But her team was skeletal and inexperienced, so Ellie had to work long hours, and most nights and weekends.
She had little time for friends and family, to exercise or to cook.
Ellie was so stressed and anxious that she struggled to sleep. She was always tired but continued to work long hours. Then one day she woke up and couldn't get out of bed.
"I couldn't put a sentence together," she said.
Ellie's doctor told her she had burnout and was physically depleted. He said she needed at least three weeks off.
Australians are among the most burnt-out employees in the world, according to the OECD Better Life Index.
The index ranks Australia 32 out of 41 countries when it comes to work-life balance, with almost 13% of full-time workers working very long hours, according to the Melbourne Business School's Carol Gill. She says Switzerland's rate is only 0.4%.
How does burnout affect your finances?
Burnout isn't to be treated lightly.
Alongside the health issues, there can be financial consequences. Time off work is essential and this can limit your capacity to earn.
Ellie only took three weeks off, but some people take months to recover, making it hard to meet their financial commitments. People are limited by their allocated sick leave and annual holidays to recover, unless a boss gives them time off in lieu for some of the overtime.
Cost-of-living pressures, big mortgages and high rents mean people can't afford to take unpaid leave to recover.
There also can be ongoing health costs. There is the expense of psychological therapy for mental health issues that can arise, such as anxiety and depression; or the cost of addressing physical ailments by seeing an expert such as a physiotherapist to address tension and pain in parts of the body.
For employers, burnt-out staff means absenteeism, a high turnover of jobs along with disengagement with work and lower productivity.
In fact, workplace burnout is estimated to cost Australian businesses about $14 billion each year, but Gill says the true cost can be much higher.
What workplace pressures are driving burnout?
But it can be hard to just say no to your boss, says Ellie. She isn't alone. About one in three workers says they don't feel that they can talk to their manager about feeling burnt out because they fear negative consequences for their job or promotion opportunities, according to a Beyond Blue survey.
The mental health and wellbeing support organisation found that people don't want to be seen as weak or incapable, or they just want to handle it privately.
Juggling a hefty mortgage, Ellie felt she couldn't walk away from her well-paid job to one with reasonable hours that didn't pay as much. But she grew to resent her boss, in particular when he suggested she do a time-management course to help her manage a greater workload.
"I was furious. Of course I know how to manage my time. My boss doubled my work. He knew I was working nights and weekends, but he expected me to. There weren't enough people or resources assigned to work on the project."
Why is burnout hitting women especially hard?
About 72% of women have reported experiencing burnout in the past 12 months, according to the 2025 Women's Agenda Women's Ambition report for UNSW. It often stems from balancing home life and career, long working hours and cost-of-living pressures.
Age discrimination is a growing concern, with more women reporting it as a greater hurdle than gender discrimination. Self-confidence is also a recurring theme.
How technology and constant contact fuel burnout
Being constantly messaged by work via emails and chat groups is stressful. When messages and phone calls interrupt after work hours, it disrupts family time.
"This constant toggling between all these different platforms is mentally exhausting," explains Dr Judith Bourke, adjunct professor in the School of Management and Governance at UNSW Business School. "It actually diminishes our ability to think deeply, to reflect and to make sound decisions."
One of the worst aspects of burnout is that it can blow up relationships and tear families apart because individuals are pouring their energy into their work and have less emotional and physical energy for their partner and families.
Why young Australians are most at risk
Beyond Blue's survey shows 18- to 29-year-olds experience the highest rates of burnout, citing inappropriate workload (38%), lack of management support (25%), and inflexible working conditions (24%) as the main drivers of burnout.
"Young people face compounding pressures and concerns including housing affordability issues, cost-of-living pressures, climate change and rising loneliness," says Beyond Blue chief executive Georgie Harman.
"But these contributions come at a cost. Time scarcity, financial strain and constant juggling between competing role demands have created a perfect storm for stress and declining wellbeing," she says.
Seven ways to avoid burnout
- Aim for a sustainable and reasonable workload.
- Have a conversation with your manager about what needs to change.
- Encourage your employer to have resourcing meetings and estimated times to complete work. Also tag work with a busy scale for employees that stretches from moderately busy to fully booked to overloaded.
- Why not add a line to your email signature that you don't check your emails outside of office hours. It could inspire others to do the same.
- Disconnect from technology for some hours each day. Keep in mind the right to disconnect laws.
- Prioritise your wellbeing needs by connecting with friends and nature.
- Get some professional support if work is making you feel unwell. See your doctor to work out what is going on.
*Not her real name.
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