Compassion Fatigue & Moral Injury

Breakthrough Personal & Professional Development Inc. CEO Bonita Eby of Kitchener, Ontario, was interviewed on CHCH Morning Live. This article is based on that interview.

Click the image to watch the live television interview.

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Host: We hear a lot about burnout. What about something called compassion fatigue? Burnout Prevention Strategist and owner of Breakthrough Personal & Professional Development, Bonita Eby, joins us now with more.

What is the definition of compassion fatigue?

Host: Let's start out with what compassion fatigue is.

Bonita: Compassion fatigue is the stress resulting from exposure to suffering people. It's caused by vicarious trauma. In other words, it's witnessing or listening to other people's difficult stories or painful experiences. It’s important to note that exposure is cumulative.

Who does compassion fatigue impact?

Host: I can imagine this is something you deal with, specifically within corporate or professional roles. I can also imagine it is something that caregivers get. Are we talking about healthcare workers and social workers?

Bonita: You are completely right. We're seeing it a lot in healthcare workers, anyone from nurses and doctors to intake workers. We also see compassion fatigue and moral injury in emergency response workers, from paramedics to forensics, and we also see it within purpose-driven nonprofits.

How has compassion fatigue emerged in recent years?

Host: Is compassion fatigue new, or is it just something that people are now recognizing based on how they are feeling and acting?

Bonita: Burnout, compassion fatigue and moral injury have existed for a long time, though it's just recently that the public is beginning to understand what it means. Even with burnout pre-pandemic, it wasn’t widely discussed or well understood. Now that we’re in what’s called a post-pandemic world, the word burnout is regularly overused, attributed to too many things. Burnout is an evidence-based, recognized term with a specific meaning.

Similarly, compassion fatigue has become public knowledge. People in helping professions have experienced increased prevalence of compassion fatigue, moral injury, and burnout throughout the pandemic, and these continue post-pandemic.

Host: And because it's happening so much, there's simply no time to stop and just take a breather at work?

What is moral injury & how does it happen?

Bonita: Well, that's just it. One of the main issues is a lack of resources. People in healthcare, emergency response, and nonprofits want to help, but there is an incredible lack of resources to provide the help people need.

This is where moral injury comes in. Helping professionals want to help those they serve, but they are often powerless to do so due to a lack of funding or long waiting lists. They are highly trained professionals, and yet they feel like their hands are tied.

What can we do to prevent & support those experiencing compassion fatigue?

Host: I can imagine what frontline workers are seeing on a day-to-day basis. What's being done to stop the issue that's causing all of this?

Bonita: We're always going to have suffering people. But what we need to do is care for the people caring for the suffering people. It means putting strategies and resources in place.

It’s important for organizations to examine their company culture and the systems and processes they use to provide care. Leaders must create psychologically safe environments for employees to talk about compassion fatigue, burnout, and moral injury and seek support.

A great place for organizations to start is by using the free Burnout Assessment on my website. Leaders and employees can download and use it to evaluate employees' risk of burnout and implement strategies to mitigate burnout, compassion fatigue, and moral injury. The Burnout Assessment is used globally by organizations to care for their people and culture.

Signs of compassion fatigue

Host: What are some of the signs of compassion fatigue?

Bonita: One of the things we're seeing regularly is the quiet quitting phenomenon. When people are experiencing compassion fatigue, they become fatigued. They're exhausted, not just physical exhaustion but also mental and emotional exhaustion.

When highly skilled professionals desire to help others but are physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted, they often begin to self-protect. They put up a metaphorical wall between themselves and those they serve because they simply can’t give of themselves as much as they have in the past.

Sometimes, as their capacity decreases, they have less tolerance for others. Even kind, loving people begin snapping at others, almost like their personalities have changed. Suddenly they are acting poorly, not caring, or causing conflict within their team.

Host: And we need those people, and we need them to be highly functioning.

Bonita: That's right, and they want to be. I've never met someone in one of the helping professions who doesn't want to be highly functioning. They're giving it their all. They're in their profession because they want to make a difference in this world.

FAQ: Compassion Fatigue and Moral Injury

What is compassion fatigue?

Compassion fatigue is the stress that builds up when employees are exposed to other people’s suffering over time. This can happen when staff hear painful stories, support people in crisis, or work in high-pressure care roles.

It is common in healthcare, emergency response, social services, nonprofits, and other purpose-driven workplaces.

What is moral injury?

Moral injury can happen when employees know what care or support is needed, but they cannot provide it because of barriers outside their control.

These barriers may include staff shortages, lack of funding, long waitlists, heavy caseloads, or policies that limit what workers can do. Over time, this can leave employees feeling helpless, guilty, frustrated, or emotionally worn down.

Who is most at risk of compassion fatigue and moral injury?

Employees in helping, care-based, or high-responsibility roles are often at higher risk. This includes healthcare workers, emergency responders, social service workers, nonprofit teams, public sector employees, HR professionals, and leaders who support distressed staff.

Corporate teams can also be affected, especially when employees are managing ongoing stress, conflict, crisis response, or emotionally demanding client work.

How can leaders recognize compassion fatigue in the workplace?

Common signs include emotional exhaustion, reduced patience, withdrawal, lower engagement, irritability, conflict, and a sense that employees are “shutting down.”

Some people may still show up and do the work, but they may have less emotional capacity than before. This can affect team culture, service quality, retention, and overall workplace health.

Why should organizations address compassion fatigue instead of leaving it to employees to manage alone?

Compassion fatigue is not only an individual wellness issue. It is also an organizational risk.

When employees are exposed to ongoing stress without enough support, it can affect morale, performance, teamwork, sick time, turnover, and psychological safety. Leaders need to consider organizational culture, systems, workload, and available supports, not just tell employees to practice self-care.

What can organizations do to prevent compassion fatigue and moral injury?

Organizations can start by building psychologically safe workplaces where employees can talk about burnout, compassion fatigue, and moral injury without fear or shame.

Leaders can also review workloads, staffing levels, communication practices, recovery time, manager training, and support systems. Workshops, assessments, and consulting can help leaders identify risks and create a practical prevention plan.

How can a workshop help our leadership team or staff?

A workshop can help employees and leaders understand the signs of compassion fatigue and moral injury, talk about them safely, and learn practical ways to reduce risk.

For leaders, a workshop can also support better decision-making around culture, workload, boundaries, communication, and employee support. This helps move the organization from reacting to burnout toward preventing it.

When should an organization bring in outside support?

Outside support can help when burnout, compassion fatigue, turnover, low morale, conflict, or emotional exhaustion are becoming more visible.

Our consultants and workshop facilitators can provide leaders with a clear framework, support honest conversations, and help teams develop practical strategies. This can be especially helpful when internal teams are already stretched or unsure where to begin.

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About the author

Bonita Eby is a Burnout Prevention & Organizational Culture Consultant, Executive Coach, and owner of Breakthrough Personal & Professional Development Inc., specializing in burnout prevention and wellness for organizations and individuals. Bonita is on a mission to end burnout.

Consultant Helps Leaders & Organizations Overcome Burnout

Breakthrough Personal & Professional Development Inc. owner, Bonita Eby, was a featured guest on The Digital Executive podcast. This article summarizes that interview. Click to listen to the full podcast, Consultant Helps Leaders & Organizations Overcome Burnout with CEO Bonita Eby | Ep 605.

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On a mission to end burnout.

Host: Welcome to Coruzant Technologies, home of the Digital Executive Podcast. Today's guest is Bonita Eby. Bonita is a Burnout Prevention Strategist and CEO of Breakthrough Personal and Professional Development, Incorporated. She specializes in burnout prevention and organizational culture at the intersection of health and leadership development. Bonita is on a mission to end burnout. 

Good afternoon, Bonita and welcome to the show. You've got quite a career in health and culture as a trainer and the CEO of Breakthrough Personal and Professional Development. Could you share the secret to your career growth with our audience and what inspires you?

Bonita: It all started when I went through burnout and compassion fatigue. I found a lack of resources to help on a personal or corporate level. Over time, I researched burnout and compassion fatigue: What causes it? How do you overcome it? From that research, I developed proprietary training and models to prevent employee burnout through the lens of organizational culture. 

A unique methodology.

Host: Let's talk about your methodology, which is informed by extensive research and data and is evidence-based, which is always good to hear. You also say that your method is different than the rest. Could you share what makes you unique?

Bonita: I started my career in healthcare and spent about a decade in that space before transitioning into leadership development. I’ve spent about 25 years in the leadership space. 

When I transitioned into working with burnout and compassion fatigue, I began researching. Because of my healthcare background, I accessed high-quality research, understood it, and broke it down into actionable steps for leaders and organizations to implement. 

We custom-design workshops and training for organizations based on our discoveries while consulting with leaders. In a nutshell, we meet our clients at the intersection of healthcare and leadership development, a focus that differs from most other companies.

How to excel in your career.

Host: Can you share something from your career experience that would be helpful for those looking to grow their career in coaching or entrepreneurship?

Bonita:

1. Invest in quality apps. They make a significant difference in prioritizing and being effective and efficient at work. 

2. We often hear stories about people who just got lucky and their businesses exploded. And while that is possible, I appreciate the quote, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.” That's my experience. It doesn't mean working yourself to the bone. I work in burnout prevention; overworking is not the point. But do the work. 

3. It takes time to become an expert in your field. Surround yourself with great leaders. Never be afraid to have people around you who do things better than you. That's how we grow. That's how we learn. We need to depend on others who can do the parts we cannot, which is a key part of leadership.

4. And lastly, trust your gut. So many times, we see what others are doing and wonder whether we should do the same. Learn and grow, but don't try to be someone else. Trust your gut. Know that you have something special to bring into the world, and then do it with integrity.

Host: Your personal experience and what you’ve learned throughout your career and life bring much to this show. I appreciate it, and thank you very much, Bonita. It was a pleasure having you on today, and I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Learn how Breakthrough supports organizations.

About the author

Bonita Eby is a Burnout Prevention & Organizational Culture Consultant, Executive Coach, and owner of Breakthrough Personal & Professional Development Inc., specializing in burnout prevention and wellness for organizations and individuals. Bonita is on a mission to end burnout. Get your free Burnout Assessment today.

How to address burnout in healthcare workers

I’ve had the opportunity to work with many healthcare organizations in the private and public sectors. In this article, you’ll learn the challenges healthcare workers face, including primary care physicians, surgeons, nurses, intake workers, mental health professionals, and healthcare human resources professionals.

Burnout & stress factors facing frontline workers.

The original feedback from frontline workers came through workshops and training facilitated by several universities’ faculty of medicine, specialized conferences, hospitals, long-term care facilities and critical care teams. As we walked through the causes of burnout, compassion fatigue, and moral injury, these were among the challenges healthcare workers identified as primary.

Workload challenges

• Staff shortages, with support staff and nursing shortages in particular.

• Additional caseload and workload responsibilities, requiring much more time and effort.

• An increase in client needs, often due to resource constraints, requires a higher degree of innovation.

• Policy implementations increase the demand for documentation.

• A lack of resources led healthcare workers to improvise amid long-term service waitlists.

• Returning to normal with the backlog brought upon by the pandemic over the past three years.

Control challenges

• An inability to set one’s schedule or to retain autonomy over it.

• Attempting to balance the backlog of work with emergent issues.

• Unfair perceptions from families that do not match ministry or facility requirements.

• The lack of transparency from management paired with constant change.

• Feeling anxiety about things I cannot control, nor are they my responsibility to control.

• Experiencing the shame of being burnt out due to unhelpful stigmas.

Reward challenges

• Longer working hours that extend into evenings, weekends and atypical shifts.

• A lack of overtime compensation.

• A lack of comprehensive benefits to cover increased expenses for self-care and mental health support.

• Feeling unappreciated by team members, management, and patients.

• Inflation and the increased cost of living leave many helping professionals living pay cheque to pay cheque.

• Benefit package levels remain insufficient despite rising service costs.

• Unfair compensation as some staff members receive wage enhancements while others do not.

Connection challenges

• A lack of in-person connection with patients and co-workers.

• A critical lack of debriefing and support from managers and supervisors following difficult experiences and vicarious trauma.

• Lack of collaboration and creativity to problem-solve among team members.

• Higher staff turnover means losing long-term team members and onboarding new staff with insufficient training and team building.

• Fewer opportunities for holiday celebrations.

• Working as a team, but feeling alone and isolated.

Fairness challenges

• Constantly changing directives and protocols.

• Continued personal protective measures long after the rest of society stopped taking precautions.

• A lack of mentorship from seasoned staff and supervisors due to a lack of time and resources.

• Inauthentic messaging from higher management regarding worker care, but without behaviours to back it up.

• Fewer opportunities for training and lunch-and-learns.

• Ageism, gender inequality, and racism lead to microaggressions and a lack of growth and development opportunities.

Values challenges

• An inability to provide high-quality care and referrals due to a lack of resources results in patients surviving rather than thriving.

• Documentation that seems to come before actual client care.

• A lack of work-life balance due to increased work responsibilities and reduced compensation.

• An unmet desire for critical incident debriefs after emotionally charged emergency situations.

• Experiencing stress as a baseline due to supporting clients within systemic inequalities.

• A feeling of hopelessness and grief without sufficient time to internally process.

• Giving so much of oneself to work that there is insufficient time or energy for family, social life and self-care.

What can be done to support healthcare workers?

Frontline staff, as well as upper management, require strategies to prevent and overcome workplace stress, burnout and compassion fatigue. The following are a few recommendations to get you started.

Complete an organizational culture evaluation.

Evaluate company culture factors, including workload, autonomy, employee satisfaction, workplace community, fairness and organizational values. Follow up with workshop sessions that invite staff to collaboratively create solutions. 

Address high workloads.

Engage employees to learn how they would like their workload challenges to be addressed. You’d be surprised how often people know the answers to their problems but lack the autonomy to innovate.

Encourage autonomy.

While not all areas of work can be controlled, offering employees simple options that empower personal autonomy goes a long way toward workplace satisfaction. Helping staff feel in control of even small parts of their job builds confidence and enthusiasm.

Communicate gratitude authentically.

Employees need to hear that they are appreciated. Even when they lack control over responsibilities, expressing thanks publicly often raises morale. Additionally, make sure that written and spoken values are lived out in real-life situations and promoted through recognition.

Reestablish team building and growth opportunities.

Get creative with team building through social events and team training by encouraging professional development learning to improve employee self-efficacy and collaboration. Offer workshops and lunch-and-learns that do not interfere with workplace responsibilities.

Evaluate employee burnout risk.

Use the free Burnout Assessment to assess employee risk. It is available online or digitally as a service. Download it today or contact us to learn more.

Train effective debriefing skills

Provide managers. supervisors and team leaders - anyone in a leadership position - training on how to facilitate critical incident stress debriefs. By training all leadership levels to understand how debriefs work and providing a consistent outline to follow, staff who experience stressful events feel heard and cared for.

About the author

Bonita Eby is a Burnout Prevention & Organizational Culture Consultant, Executive Coach, and owner of Breakthrough Personal & Professional Development Inc., specializing in burnout prevention and wellness for organizations and individuals. Bonita is on a mission to end burnout. Get your free Burnout Assessment today.

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Strategies to Create a Healthy Work-Life Balance

Workplace burnout has become a global concern in recent years, amid the blurring of boundaries between work and home and soaring rates of mass resignations. This has affected many organizations' top performers, with more people feeling less productive, more exhausted, and more cynical about their jobs. Our previous article discussed the importance of recognizing burnout in the workforce to support employee well-being, which has since become a top priority for many organizations worldwide.

Organizations have been implementing strategies such as training, resources, and benefits in order to protect and support their employees. While it is key that every stakeholder continues to advocate for a more positive organizational culture, workers can simultaneously support their physical and mental health through proactive work-life boundaries and healthy, evidence-based habits. Let’s take a closer look at how to do this below.

Take your lunch break

A 2022 survey by Sharebite found that 43% of employees said they were too busy to eat at work, while 39% skipped lunch entirely to finish their work as quickly as possible. Contrary to the desired effect, however, not taking a break has been associated with lower productivity and reduced mental focus.

51% of employees agree that lunch breaks help them focus on work and be more productive. Recent research suggests that taking your lunch break can actually benefit overall productivity rather than detract from it, as employees are better able to deliver quality output. To further save time and money, meal planning apps can help you prepare your lunches at home, so you don't need to line up at restaurants or the company cafeteria. Mealime is a popular choice for time-crunched cooks. The app hosts recipes, shopping lists, and meal inspiration that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less.

Practice and develop mindfulness

Mindfulness is more than a simple mindset. According to a 2021 study published in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, teaching mindfulness as a cognitive–emotional segmentation strategy can have positive effects on psychological detachment, psychological work–family conflict, and work–life balance satisfaction. That’s because individuals learn to focus on the present after work and avoid thinking about past or future-related work issues, which helps reduce spillover between work and private roles.

There are different mindfulness exercises that one can start with, from guided meditations to mindful yoga. It's an especially helpful movement meditation that allows you to enjoy stillness and surrender to the present while also relieving pain and strengthening your body. It is also an easy intervention to request and set up in the workplace, which nurtures relationships among co-workers while reducing perceived stress among employees. Six studies involving over 200 participants who practiced yoga interventions at the worksite have already reported positive results in improving individual and organizational health, morale, work motivation, performance, and more.

Make your bedroom conducive to rest

Taking work home can blur the lines for work-life boundaries and eventually lead to overwork and exhaustion. This phenomenon has only worsened after the work-from-home setup grew in popularity. Maintaining a clear boundary between the two, whether through physical distance or clear scheduling, is key.

Your bedroom, at the very least, should be retained as a space for rest. This can be done by keeping all work-related items in another room and reducing screen time for at least an hour before bed. Strengthening the mental association between your bedroom and sleep encourages you to put work down, rest, and focus instead on your own welfare. According to a 2023 article by the Sleep Foundation, proper rest can significantly decrease your chances of making errors at work the next day, hence boosting your productivity and job performance.

Pursue a non-work passion

To spend more time outside of work, many high-level executives have made it a priority to pursue a non-work passion, this study finds. These serious leisure activities range from cycling to music to handcrafting greeting cards, and have been found to effectively help CEOs cope with the demands of their jobs. Hobbies also provide them with a sense of fulfillment and individualism. If you're unsure where to start, try experimenting with free apps such as Headspace for meditation, Duolingo for language learning, or Gaia GPS for hiking. These allow you to enjoy new hobbies without commitment until you find the one that truly sparks your passion.

With these tips, you will come closer to being in control of your career, relationships, and life. Creating a healthy work-life balance takes effort, but the result is better job satisfaction and a professional and personal schedule that you can look forward to.

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Written exclusively for break-through.ca

By Laura Rose (updated by Breakthrough 2026)

Laura Rose has been working in human resources for the last ten years. While she finds passion in her work, she equally enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking and bait fishing in her spare time.

How to get the mental & emotional rest you need to flourish

Typically, when we think of rest, we think of physical rest. Perhaps we gravitate toward napping or zoning out in front of Netflix with a snack.

But what if the rest we seek is not the rest we need? Finding appropriate rest will help you implement sustainable practices for greater resilience. Today we’ll explore two types of rest.

Mental Rest

Do you ever find that after you've arrived home from a hard day's work - perhaps you’re having a meal or connecting with your family or friends - your mind still thinks you’re at work? Your mind is racing, thinking of all the unfinished to-dos on your list and the conversations you need to have tomorrow. You’ve tried to shut off mentally, but your brain can’t settle down due to stress. You need mental rest.

How to access mental rest

Pre-pandemic, we all had rituals. We’d go to a physical workplace, and work happened only at work. At the end of the day, we’d shut off the computer, lock the door and drive home. Once we arrived home, we'd change out of our work clothes and into our home clothes. We exercised, did yard work, made dinner, or helped our kids with homework.

Today’s work environment has changed, and whether you work in an office, in an on-site situation, or from home, creating an end-of-day routine can help you transition physically and mentally from work-life to home-life. 

The first thing to do is turn off notifications or park your phone in a charger behind closed doors whenever possible.

Secondly, spend a few minutes in mindfulness practice. Find a quiet place, close your eyes and focus on your breath, sinking deeply into it. Notice how you feel. Hold that feeling, sit with it and consciously experience the newfound emotion. Then, as you return to the rest of your day, come back to your breath whenever you find your mind racing and remember that wonderful feeling.

Emotional Rest

The world has become increasingly emotionally complex. Whether your leadership happens in a boardroom, a clinic, a classroom or an office, it is essential to cultivate your emotional landscape.

Have you ever left work and intentionally chosen to physically rest by taking a nap, skipping your exercise routine, or spending an hour enjoying a book, only to come away feeling drained? You may need emotional rest, and no amount of physical rest can fill your emotional tank.

If you work an emotionally draining job in a helping profession - therapy, healthcare, nonprofit - your emotional reserves become depleted regularly. You may think you’re fine until your child, friend, or neighbour does one little thing, and you become irritated, angry, or just want to cry. These are symptoms of emotional depletion that need attention before they lead to burnout or compassion fatigue.

How to access emotional rest

The world is filled with emotionally-charged events. Music tugs at your heartstrings, swallows you in sadness, or pushes you into euphoria. Movies switch from scenes that make you laugh, cry and scream with fright, all within a short period of time. And the news, in whatever fashion you consume it, has become less journalistic and more shocking. Unfortunately, these things tax your emotional reserves, leaving little energy for your most important relationships.

Intentionally choose uplifting music, inspiring movies, healthy books, and media sources that bring life. You only have so much emotional capacity, so reserve it for your few most critical areas, then focus on refilling and reenergizing. 

Wherever you find yourself today, give yourself the gift of rest. Doing so will help you not only survive but thrive.

About the author

Bonita Eby is a Burnout Prevention & Organizational Culture Consultant, Executive Coach, and owner of Breakthrough Personal & Professional Development Inc., specializing in burnout prevention and wellness for organizations and individuals. Bonita is on a mission to end burnout. Get your free Burnout Assessment today.

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Understanding Burnout & What Organizations Can Do About It

What does the term burnout actually mean?

The World Health Organization recognized Burnout as an occupational phenomenon in the 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases in 2019.

It's an occupational phenomenon, not a diagnosis or medical condition, although more medical doctors are recognizing the signs of burnout and how burnout can lead to serious health conditions. Burnout is a response to overwhelming chronic stress and takes a toll on people physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, relationally, financially, and professionally. 

Burnout, stress and quiet quitting

Exhaustion is perhaps the first and most obvious symptom of the burnout response. Secondly, burned-out people increasingly respond cynically to their jobs, which may manifest as quiet quitting, self-protection, negativity, or conflict. Thirdly, people who are burning out become less productive; their efficacy diminishes. This only makes sense. When someone is exhausted and not sleeping well due to chronic stress, when they’re not finding the resources they need to survive and thrive, and when they start feeling negative about their workplace, their productivity and innovation will naturally decline.

How burnout affects our health

Burnout can lead to many health conditions. Read our article entitled Burnout Stress and Your Health here.

How is burnout different from stress and exhaustion?

Exhaustion is a primary symptom of burnout, but burnout includes more than just exhaustion. Chronic workplace stress wears people down, and eventually they become physically exhausted and, often, emotionally and mentally as well.

However, people can become exhausted for myriad reasons, and that’s why it’s important to recognize that exhaustion from burnout stems from workplace stress, accompanied by cynicism and decreased efficacy.

For instance, some people find their role exhausting but absolutely love their work and feel meaningfully supported by their workplace and direct manager. But when that support is missing, or the underlying company culture lacks psychological safety, people start to feel negative toward their jobs and employers. Some people experience this as a decreased willingness to give their all to the job. For those in professions that witness others’ suffering, compassion fatigue may creep in due to vicarious trauma, and these people tend to self-protect to avoid further injury.

Eventually, the exhaustion and cynicism catch up, and they become less productive. They no longer have passion for the job they once enjoyed. Some personality types may push harder to compensate, further depleting themselves as they strive for success or excellence. This type is more difficult to notice as a manager than the types who cannot keep up with their workload and may not even try because they simply have nothing more to give.

What are the risk factors for job burnout?

Stress

First is a high frequency of workplace stressors. This isn’t the stress that only happens at month-end or year-end. It’s daily stressors that continue ongoing, leading to chronic stress. Chronic stress can cause significant health challenges, from heart palpitations to heart disease, diabetes, brain fog, and effects on the endocrine system, including the thyroid and adrenal glands. 

Overwork

Constant overwork without necessary breaks, automations and opportunities for delegation continues the daily stress cycle. This mismatch between role responsibilities and inadequate time and resources increases the risk of burnout.

Lack of Autonomy

When people do not have discretion around where, when and how they work, the resulting stress can again lead to burnout. Creative and intelligent people need the opportunity to innovate, take risks and do things differently.

Inadequate Compensation

A rewarding and purposeful job is enough to propel people to do their very best in the workplace. When they do not receive adequate rewards, they may begin feeling cynical toward their job or employer. 

Interestingly, monetary compensation, though essential, is rarely a primary motivator for people whose income provides a healthy standard of living. Instead, rewards such as appreciation, public recognition and promotions tend to be more motivating. Robust benefits packages, flex-time, hybrid work options, and vacation allowances also contribute to a person’s sense of reward.

Isolation & Lack Of Connection

People need to feel connected to meaning and purpose and also to one another. Even entrepreneurs desire connection with others and will go out of their way to procure meaningful community. 

In the workplace, people desire regular and positive interactions with their boss, manager and co-workers. Without that connection, they can feel isolated and demotivated, and lose out on the innovative sparks that only arise through interaction.

Lack of Equity

Human beings have a basic need to be treated fairly and equitably. Without knowing they have fair opportunities for advancement and rewards, they cannot produce at their highest potential. Glass ceilings, discrimination and unfair management practices can demotivate employees and cause unnecessary conflict.

Conflicting Values

People desire to be part of something they believe in, and when they are, they will work wholeheartedly toward their organization's goals. But when the company’s values contradict personal values, trust and morale diminish. Unhealthy team dynamics and unethical policies and practices can again lead toward burnout.

What can organizations do to prevent employee burnout?

Within organizations, leaders tend to focus on what’s wrong with the individual person rather than the systems, causing the person to become exhausted or underperform. They may offer fitness breaks, cooking classes or learning opportunities, which are wonderful in and of themselves, but no amount of self-care will cause a burned-out person in an unhealthy company culture to thrive.

Burnout is an organizational culture issue related to the company's systems and processes. Changes must be made at the organizational level to affect employees. Real conversations in a psychologically safe environment will get to the root of ongoing workplace stressors. The Burnout Assessment can provide a starting place for those conversations between managers and their direct reports.

What are some workplace best practices?

Preventative Measures

-Complete a company culture workshop to collaboratively create healthy systems and structures. We offer a Burnout Prevention Workshop to do just that.

-Build effective evaluation processes for weekly or biweekly check-ins, quarterly assessments or surveys and annual 360 reviews.

-Offer workers the opportunity to evaluate their manager or supervisor anonymously.

-Evaluate workloads, productivity and effectiveness data regularly.

-Offer flexible schedules and hybrid-model options.

Coping Measures

-Offer robust benefits packages and Employee Assistance Programs.

-Offer adequate vacation time and mental health days.

-Encourage employees to access and take advantage of their benefits and vacation days.

-Workplace wellness programs for stress management, resilience and gym memberships.

FAQ: Understanding Burnout and What Organizations Can Do About It

What is workplace burnout?

Workplace burnout is a response to ongoing, unmanaged workplace stress. It can affect people physically, mentally, emotionally, relationally, and professionally.

Burnout is not just “being tired.” It often includes exhaustion, increased cynicism, and reduced effectiveness at work. The World Health Organization recognizes burnout as an occupational phenomenon, not a medical diagnosis.

How is burnout different from regular stress?

Stress can be short-term and tied to a specific deadline, busy season, or an event. Burnout develops when workplace stress continues over time without enough recovery, support, or change.

A person experiencing burnout may feel exhausted, disconnected from their work, negative toward their workplace, and less able to perform at their usual level.

What are common signs of employee burnout?

Common signs include ongoing exhaustion, lower motivation, increased cynicism, conflict, withdrawal, reduced productivity, and a loss of passion for work.

Some employees may appear less engaged or seem to be “quiet quitting.” Others may keep pushing themselves harder, which can make their burnout harder for managers to notice.

What causes burnout in organizations?

Burnout is often caused by ongoing workplace stressors. These may include constant overwork, lack of autonomy, poor recognition, isolation, lack of equity, conflicting values, and unhealthy team dynamics.

Burnout is not only an individual problem. It is often connected to workplace systems, processes, culture, and leadership practices.

Why should leaders treat burnout as an organizational risk?

Burnout can affect productivity, innovation, morale, retention, conflict, and employee health. When employees are exhausted and unsupported, they are less able to do their best work.

For senior leaders, burnout prevention is not just a wellness initiative. It is part of building a healthy, high-performing, sustainable organization.

Can self-care alone fix burnout?

Self-care can help, but it is not enough when the workplace culture or systems are causing the problem.

Wellness activities, fitness breaks, and learning opportunities can be helpful, but they will not solve burnout if employees are still working inside unhealthy systems or unsafe cultures. Organizational change is often needed.

What can organizations do to prevent employee burnout?

Organizations can start by examining the root causes of stress in the workplace. This may include reviewing workloads, manager support, flexibility, communication, team culture, evaluation processes, and employee feedback systems.

This includes real conversations in a psychologically safe environment, along with tools such as assessments, workshops, check-ins, surveys, and workload reviews.

How can managers support employees who may be burning out?

Managers can support employees by noticing changes early, asking open questions, and creating space for honest conversations. They should avoid blaming the employee and instead look at what may be causing ongoing stress.

Helpful manager actions include regular check-ins, workload reviews, flexibility where possible, clear priorities, recognition, and connecting employees with available benefits or support.

How can a burnout prevention workshop help our organization?

A burnout prevention workshop can help leaders and teams understand what burnout is, identify risk factors, and talk about workplace stress in a safe and practical way.

It can also help organizations move from reactive support to prevention. This is useful for public sector teams, healthcare, emergency response, nonprofits, and corporate workplaces where stress and responsibility are high.

When should an organization bring in outside support to prevent burnout?

Outside support can help when burnout, turnover, low morale, conflict, absenteeism, or disengagement are becoming more visible.

A consultant or facilitator can help leaders assess the real causes of burnout, guide honest conversations, and build practical strategies that fit the organization’s culture, people, and workload realities.

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About the author

Bonita Eby is a Burnout Prevention & Organizational Culture Consultant, Executive Coach, and owner of Breakthrough Personal & Professional Development Inc., specializing in burnout prevention and wellness for organizations and individuals. Bonita is on a mission to end burnout. Get your free Burnout Assessment today.