Severe occupational burnout has increased

Finnish Institute of Occupational Health media release 2 October 2024

According to the How is Finland doing? follow-up study by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, there is no improvement in sight in Finns’ well-being at work.  

"Although there is a lot of good in Finnish work life, there has been an overall trend of declining well-being at work. This is reflected in both the willingness and ability to work," says Research Professor Jari Hakanen from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.

Although the development observed in the survey is not dramatic, it is shown consistently in almost all indicators of well-being at work. The greatest deterioration occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The level of work engagement is nothing to write home about. If you feel good about going to work and feel that your work is important only once a week, then work no longer is a resource that supports your daily life," says Jari Hakanen.

Severe burnout concerns already one in ten

Approximately one in four Finns still have an increased risk of occupational burnout or severe burnout. According to the follow-up study, the proportion of people who are burnt out is likely to increase within this group. In 2019, severe burnout concerned 6 per cent of respondents,  compared to 10 per cent in the data collected in the summer of 2024.

"A person who has severe burnout may still be at work, but they constantly experience symptoms of burnout. They have to make even more effort in order to cope with work and the quality of the rest of their life suffers. The observed increase is worrisome because this group has the greatest risk of long periods of sick leave due to their unreasonable workload," says Janne Kaltiainen, Specialist Researcher at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.

The research group found that the likelihood of occupational burnout has increased, especially among those in supervisory and management positions. The number has tripled compared to the pre-pandemic period.  

"This is a shocking trend. Changes in work have posed new challenges to management work in recent years. At the same time, we can observe a downturn in managers’ hopefulness about the future of their own work. It is important that managers also receive sufficient support for their work," says Janne Kaltiainen.

Severe burnout is also twice as likely among young people under the age 36 compared with 2019.

One in three remote workers are lonely

Out of all symptoms of burnout, cognitive disorders and cynicism at work have increased in particular. Cognitive disorders are more common among those engaged in remote and hybrid work compared with those who only work in person. Boredom at work is also highlighted in remote work.  

"Half of Finland hypes the flexibility of remote work. And, in fact, the strength of remote work lies in reducing stress by saving time spent commuting. This should create an increase in well-being at work, and the subjective experience of many remote workers is positive. However, it seems that the price of remote work is a loss of positive resources that are important to all of us, leading to reduced well-being at work," says Jari Hakanen.  

Loneliness was more prevalent among those who worked over 75 per cent of their working time remotely, with a total of 34 per cent feeling lonely. Of all respondents, 28 per cent experience loneliness, 26 per cent of people who work remotely up to half of their work time and 25 per cent of people engaged in in-person work.  

There was an increase in experiences of loneliness compared to last year. Fortunately, this is something that can also be prevented at the workplace; for example by enabling encounters that make people feel seen and appreciated," says Janne Kaltiainen.

Increasing uncertainty puts a strain on employees

The How is Finland doing? survey also provides insights into the stress factors and resources affecting well-being at work.  

The results show that there are many resources in work that promote well-being, such as experiences of capability and fair treatment. Independence at work has increased, but hopefulness has decreased.

The most typical stress factor is uncertainty about the future of one’s own work, which is also more common than before. Bureaucratic demands and emotional work have also increased.​

The expectations we have for our future affect how we feel here and now. It is therefore important that treatment at workplaces is fair and that there are joint discussions and support in order for no-one to feel they are alone in uncertain times. This means we can counteract the negative effects of uncertainty," says Janne Kaltiainen.

Research project: How is Finland doing?

• The research project produces information on how well-being at work and different attitudes towards work have developed among Finnish employees over recent years.
• The respondents consisted of working Finns aged 18–65.
• This time, the focus is on changes in Finns’ well-being at work between late 2019, summer 2023, late 2023 and summer 2024.
• The How is Finland doing? research is funded by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and Finland's Sustainable Growth Programme. Learn more about previous research publications on the project page.  
  
  

Further information

• Jari Hakanen, Research Professor, jari.hakanen@ttl.fi, +358 40 562 5433
• Janne Kaltiainen, Specialist Researcher, janne.kaltiainen@ttl.fi, +358 50 476 5980
  
  

Learn more about the study 

Summary of the results attached (PDF, in Finnish).