'E-presenteeism' | 6 in 10 HR leaders fear losing staff to burnout

Three in five (58%) HR leaders fear that the mental toll of homeworking will cause them to lose staff who may be forced to take time off due to burnout, new data has found.

The study – which was commissioned by LinkedIn in partnership with the Mental Health Foundation – found that four in five (79%) HR managers think long-term homeworking has unearthed a culture of ‘e-presenteeism’, whereby workers feel obliged to be online as much as possible, even outside of work hours, and when they are feeling unwell.

Additionally, three-quarters (75%) believe that ‘e-presenteeism’ has the potential to impact employee mental health by adding additional stress and anxiety which could manifest into burnout.

Chris O’Sullivan, Head of Fundraising and Communications at Mental Health Foundation, has urged employers to take action before the impact of burnout perpetuates.