New research on Australia's workforce may surprise you - it found an often forgot cohort is suffering from burnout.
Software research site Capterra surveyed middle managers across the country and found they were suffering heightened levels of burnout, largely due to premature promotions.
The survey found 73 percent of workers reported burnout.
One of those feeling the struggle is Imogen Jones.
The 25-year-old told news.com.au that a key reason for burnout was the disconnect between what a middle manager job is on paper versus reality.
"If you expect someone to work 9 to 5 then you have to understand part of that time entails doing tasks that you don't necessarily put on the KPIs (key performance indicators)," she said.
Jones explained how the day-to-day responsibilities and tasks she had to complete, which were not captured in her KPIs and her performance review, led to her eventual burnout.
"KPIs never take into consideration the day-to-day stuff that always comes up," she said.
"For example onboarding - where in the KPIs do you have justification for onboarding? You don't."
Jones expected many middle managers were going over their hours and taking work home to meet the expectation of their role - doing so without recognition for the extra work.
It comes after an AUT study of 1000 Kiwis following the first COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020, found 31 percent of workers were either dangerously close to burnout or had hit the wall.
The study found:
- Workers in big firms were 153 percent more likely than those in smaller firms to be burnt out.
- Essential workers were 152 percent more likely than non-essential.
- Managers who pitch in to cover staff are more than 219 percent more likely to be at the end of their tether.
- The under-30-year-olds are also 206 percent more likely to burn out than their more mature workmates.
Professor Jarrod Haar at the time told Newshub how these workers would have "high job anxiety, high depression".
"They won't be sleeping, they may have physical pain… they won't be performing in their job," he said.
