Nearly half of Canadian workers say they’re experiencing burnout, with professionals in legal and human resources roles among the hardest hit, according to a survey released Tuesday.
The survey, conducted by Robert Half Canada, revealed that 47 per cent of Canadian professionals report feeling burned out. That’s up from 42 per cent in 2024 and 33 per cent in 2023. Additionally, 31 per cent of workers said their level of burnout has increased compared to last year.
“In addition to being an increasingly worrying issue for professionals, burnout is a major challenge for employers as well,” said Koula Vasilopoulos, senior managing director at Robert Half Canada.
The top factors cited for workplace burnout include heavy workloads and long hours (39 per cent), emotional or mental fatigue from high-stress tasks (38 per cent), insufficient work-life balance (28 per cent), a lack of management support or recognition (28 per cent), and limited professional growth opportunities (28 per cent).
Burnout rates are highest among legal and HR professionals, with 59 per cent reporting exhaustion. Working parents (51 per cent) and millennials (50 per cent) also reported significant burnout levels.
Employers are feeling the impact, too. Another Robert Half survey of more than 1,050 hiring managers found that 39 per cent struggle with employee burnout when roles remain vacant for extended periods. Managers also reported productivity declines (40 per cent), delayed project timelines (34 per cent), increased turnover (30 per cent), and revenue losses (24 per cent).
Workers identified several strategies that could alleviate burnout. Encouraging mental health days or time off topped the list (34 per cent), followed by hiring additional permanent or contract workers (33 per cent), and helping staff prioritize projects and manage timelines (30 per cent).
“As burnout continues to rise, managers need to proactively mitigate it by filling gaps on the team, embracing flexible staffing solutions, encouraging time off, prioritizing workloads, and maintaining open communication about employee wellbeing,” Vasilopoulos said.
The Robert Half surveys included responses from 1,500 Canadian professionals and 1,056 hiring managers at organizations with more than 20 employees
