Post Summer Burnout

I don’t mean to sound dramatic, but the employees are not okay right now.

Summer came and went, but instead of people coming back rested and refreshed, so many people I speak to are coming back feeling more drained than ever. And I am not talking about your usual suspects. I’m seeing this trend among top performers, the high achievers, the ones who usually thrive.

It feels like summer was barely a blip, and people are running on fumes. Perhaps it’s the push back for employees to be in office 4-5 days per week. Maybe it’s staffing shortages or the potential of layoffs. Or it could be the very real stress of people working very hard for a paycheque that doesn’t afford them all it used to. Either way, people’s energy levels are depleted and the burnout is real.

And when your best people are showing signs of burnout, it’s a wake-up call. Leaders can’t just gloss over this with perks and pep talks. People need real support and space to recharge - or burnout won’t just hurt employees, it will take a toll on the whole company.