Nearly 40% of UK workers feel burnt out, with 1.58 million employees on long-term absence. As mental health pressures rise, burnout affects more employees. This can cause a ripple effect through the wider team, especially when colleagues need time off and workloads increase for those left behind.
Half of UK employees say their mental health has affected their productivity in the past year. If the root causes of burnout are left unaddressed, it can lead to a cycle of presenteeism, rising stress in teams, and further absences. This cycle is costly, with mental health-related absences reaching £13.9bn for UK businesses in 2024 and continuing to rise.
Easing employee return to work
Patience is key when an employee returns from long-term absence due to burnout. Returning to a full workload too quickly can risk setbacks and feed into repeating the cycle of burnout, resulting in further absence. A phased return—gradually reintroducing hours and responsibilities—gives employees space to rebuild confidence, manage stress, and adjust without becoming overwhelmed.
Support from managers during this time, such as regular check-ins and realistic workload planning, can help employees sustain their recovery and have a more manageable return to their role. It also sends a clear message to the wider team that wellbeing is prioritised, reducing the risk of burnout spreading and creating a healthier, more resilient team culture.
Repercussions of burnout and employee absence
Burnout doesn’t just affect the individual experiencing it—it can create a ripple effect across the team. When an employee is off, their tasks either get paused, delaying projects, or are redistributed to colleagues. This can leave remaining team members shouldering extra responsibilities without additional time or support, increasing pressure across the board.
Having heightened workloads can fuel stress and raise the risk of further burnout and absence within the team. Understanding these wider repercussions gives businesses the opportunity to reconsider deadlines that have potential to change, balance workloads for employee and ensure the whole team is feeling supported without unrealistic expectations.
Free resource: our Health & Wellbeing Toolkit can help build an effective strategy for prioritising employee wellbeing.
Mental health skills for managers
Line managers play a vital role in supporting employee mental health and preventing burnout within their teams. Equipping managers with mental health skills gives them the confidence to spot early signs of mental health struggles, offer initial support, and signpost employees to further help when needed.
The Workforce Institute at UKG found that managers have a higher impact on mental health than doctors and therapists. Feeling supported by managers who take proactive steps to prioritise employee health, such as having the ‘wellbeing conversation’ can have a profound effect on the team’s mental health.
By building confidence to address mental health proactively, Mental Health First Aid-trained managers can help reduce stigma in the workplace, encourage a culture of openness, and prevent burnout from escalating into long-term absence—benefiting both employee wellbeing and overall team performance.
Free resource to spot the signs of burnout
Tackling burnout is about protecting the resilience of the whole team. By spotting early signs and taking action, managers can help their people move from burnout to bounce-back, creating healthier, high-performing teams even during challenging times.
Download our free traffic light system to help spot the signs of burnout and prevent it from snowballing into a bigger issue.
