With only 13% of employees engaged and 33% thriving in their wellbeing, burnout has become a global epidemic. It is a key driver of absenteeism and presenteeism, costing businesses an estimated $322 billion annually in lost productivity. In the UK, 79% of workers report experiencing burnout, with 35% citing high or extreme levels. In 2022, work-related stress, depression, or anxiety accounted for 51% of all work-related ill health. Deloitte now estimates that presenteeism outweighs the cost of absenteeism for employers. Why? Individuals at work producing a low standard of output will have far larger cost implications for businesses than those not there at all. Not only does all of this leave us with unwell individuals but also expensive businesses due to higher attrition rates, disrupted service continuity and increasing recruitment and training costs.

Before I go any further it is important to note burnout isn't always caused by overwork; it can also stem from under-fulfilment. Employees who feel disengaged, unsupported, or unable to find meaning in their work are just as likely to burn out as those working excessive hours. This duality of burnout “whether from overwork or lack of purpose” illustrates the complexity of the issue and highlights why cookie-cutter solutions simply don't work. A personalised approach, by tailoring solutions to each individual's unique needs and professional circumstances, is vital to moving forward effectively.

Burnout is one of the biggest threats to human sustainability, a concept introduced in the Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends 2024 report, emphasising the importance of  enhancing employees' wellbeing, employability, and equity, rather than merely always extracting value for both future business success and human outcomes. If employees are overstretched, overwhelmed, or disengaged, they cannot contribute meaningfully to the workplace. 

When it comes to solutions, generic initiatives like providing access to gym memberships or offering mindfulness apps can only scratch the surface. These solutions fail to tackle the root causes of burnout, which are often deeply embedded in an employee’s lack of personal and professional alignment. While many businesses look to technology for answers, it cannot replace the profound impact of human connection. What’s truly needed is an integration of the scalable tools and data insights from technology, combined with personalised, dedicated support from human coaches to drive connection based on the unique needs of the individual. STUNNING!

By combining the precision of technology with the empathy and expertise of humans, we can address both the symptoms and the underlying causes of burnout. 

In the context of modern business services, personalised coaching meets employees where they are. It helps individuals align their personal goals with their professional responsibilities, building a deeper connection between the two. 

This dynamic shift in focus changes the entire ecosystem of how a person shows up to work, how they interact with others, and what they ultimately contribute to the business. 

Each employee’s experience is unique, so solutions must be too. Coaching focuses on individual goals, challenges and life events, aligning them with organisational objectives. It promotes sustainability by enhancing critical skills such as resilience, emotional intelligence, and high performance in a healthy, sustainable manner – all crucial for the modern workplace. Personalised coaching offers many unique benefits, a few of which I have highlighted below:

• Increased self-awareness: coaching encourages employees to reflect on their motivations, triggers, and stressors. Self-aware employees take ownership of their work, hold better relationships, make better decisions, take action to manage their health and all of this leads to improved business outcomes
• Tailored goal setting: through coaching, employees can set meaningful, achievable goals that align with their personal values and professional ambitions. Rather than being overwhelmed by unrealistic expectations or feeling unchallenged, coaching helps employees find a sense of purpose in their work, balancing ambition with fulfilment. Repeated Well-structured goal-setting leads to increased productivity and higher levels of employee engagement, again directly benefiting business performance
• Improved emotional intelligence (EI): 90% of top performers possess high EI. It’s essential for individuals to learn how to better understand and manage their own emotions, as well as the emotions of others, to navigate workplace challenges and handle stress without feeling overwhelmed. EI is especially important in high-pressure environments, as it promotes personal resilience and strengthens interpersonal relationships
• Better conflict resolution: coaching enhances communication and conflict resolution skills, which are critical for navigating diverse workplace dynamics and varied communication preferences. On average, employees spend 2.8 hours per week dealing with conflict, costing businesses $359 billion annually. Effective conflict resolution is crucial for reducing these costs
• Work-life integration: We wouldn’t expect top athletes to perform at their best with lack of sleep, poor nutrition, and lack of support - so why do we think this is beneficial to the workplace? In today’s hyperconnected world, switching off from work is a challenge. Coaching enables individuals to manage their time and energy, looking at all the components of someone's health, ensuring they can recover and sustain high performance. Burnout isn’t just about workload; it’s about not feeling seen, heard, or valued – coaching supports them with all of this

As someone who has experienced stress-related illness, resulting in multiple hospital visits due to the combined impact of professional stress and personal grief, I have a first-hand understanding of the critical importance of organisations being proactive in this area. Over the years, I have gone on to accumulate nearly 12,000 hours of one-to-one coaching, supporting individuals in proactively managing their wellbeing. This experience has only strengthened my conviction that personalised, individual coaching is essential in navigating significant life challenges, both positive and negative. 

As awareness of burnout rises, employers have a responsibility to make reasonable adjustments to prevent it. Ignoring burnout not only poses ethical concerns but also exposes organisations to legal risks and hampers their potential for future growth and success, especially in today's highly competitive business environment. Personalised coaching can mitigate these risks, enabling companies to safeguard both their employees’ wellbeing and their long-term stability.

We need a radical shift in how businesses address employee wellbeing based on personalised, human-centred solutions that connect individual health with professional success, recognising the inseparability of the two. 

The future of organisational success depends on our ability to adapt to the needs of the modern workplace. We must cultivate healthy, high-performing cultures in a sustainable manner and in doing so we will create environments where individuals will show up, contribute, find purpose and ultimately both feel and perform at their best.

This article originally appeared in the November/December 2024 issue of Startups Magazine. Click here to subscribe