One in five workers in the Netherlands struggling with burnout symptoms: study

One in five workers suffers from burnout symptoms, according to research by the institute TNO. This leads to 11 million days per year of employee absenteeism due to work stress and pressure.

TNO released a fact sheet for the OVAL Week of Work Stress, which takes place from November 13 to 17, on Monday.

“These figures are very worrying. The number of people with burnout complaints is higher than ever,” said Elwin Wolters, director of OVAL. He calls on employers, employees, and politicians to take more action to prevent work stress and burnout. “If we do nothing now, by 2030, a third of all employees could be at home sick with burnout,” he warned.

The proportion of workers experiencing burnout symptoms has risen to 20 percent, rebounding after a decline in 2020. As a result, the number of sick days taken due to work stress has again become significant. Last year, a total of 11 million days were lost to work stress. The highest rates of stress-related absenteeism occur in public administration, healthcare, and education.

Nearly 30 percent of workers attribute their absenteeism to excessive workload. According to the research institute, the impact of this absenteeism is considerable, with an employee at home sick, colleagues facing additional work pressure, and employers incurring high costs, averaging 315 euros per day per employee.

Almost all workers report receiving social support from their colleagues. Regarding psychological safety, nearly 70 percent of workers feel comfortable bringing up difficult issues, and almost 80 percent say they can easily ask for help. The research institute noted that it is “good news” that employees feel they can express themselves in the workplace, as this can help prevent burnout-related dropout.