Meet Amy Stout, Strategist and Founder of Making The Connection, partnering with HR and executive teams to reduce burnout, lower claims, and strengthen culture.
With 30+ years of corporate leadership experience, she turns employee well-being
data into actionable insight. Amy works as an extension of the HR team, handling strategy and
execution so leaders can focus on running the business with clarity and confidence.
Burnout isn’t a motivation problem. It’s not a weakness. And it’s not something that can be fixed with a vacation.
Employee burnout is the result of chronic, unmanaged workplace stress, and it’s one of the biggest threats to engagement, retention, and workplace culture today.
In our Motion Connected Masterclass, From Burnout to Balanced, workplace wellbeing strategist Amy Stout broke down what burnout really looks like, what causes it, and how HR leaders and managers can address it before it leads to turnover.
Here’s what every organization should know.
What Is Employee Burnout?
Burnout typically shows up in three core ways:
- Exhaustion, whether physical, mental, or emotional
- Cynicism or detachment
- A reduced sense of effectiveness
Employees begin to feel drained. They may care less than they used to or quietly question whether their work makes any real difference.
Burnout builds gradually. In many cases, performance still appears steady while energy and connection slowly decline. That is why it is so easy to miss.
The impact goes beyond the individual. Burnout weakens morale, reduces psychological safety, erodes trust in leadership, and increases turnover risk. Over time, it can also contribute to rising healthcare costs and lower productivity.
The Early Signs Leaders Often Overlook
One of the strongest takeaways from the session was this: burnout is often identified by a shift.
An engaged employee who once shared ideas freely may grow quieter in meetings. A high performer who used to feel energized may begin to look consistently depleted. Weekends no longer feel restorative, and energy feels low more often than not.
Sometimes the shift is emotional. Patience shortens. Irritability increases. In other cases, emotions flatten. The employee is not necessarily underperforming, but the pride and meaning they once found in their work begin to fade. Tasks feel transactional rather than purposeful.
These subtle changes can appear months before someone resigns.
Burnout rarely looks dramatic at first. It looks gradual.
Behavioral Patterns That Signal Burnout
Beyond emotional shifts, there are observable behaviors that often accompany burnout.
Employees may begin withdrawing from meetings or skipping optional team events. Cameras that were once on are now off. Participation decreases. Over time, disengagement becomes more visible.
Burnout can also show up in how work gets done. Some employees procrastinate on tasks that used to feel manageable. Others work longer hours but accomplish less. They may struggle to prioritize or feel overwhelmed when deciding where to begin.
Interestingly, overworking can be a sign as well. When someone is consistently working evenings, weekends, or even during PTO, it may not be dedication. It may be a nervous system stuck in survival mode.
Increased errors can also surface. Chronic stress affects focus, memory, and processing speed. When employees are pushed beyond sustainable capacity, small but unusual mistakes become more common.
What Causes Employee Burnout?
Burnout is not simply about having too much work. It is about the conditions surrounding that work.
Chronic overload without recovery is one of the biggest drivers. Working hard is not the issue. Never getting out from under the work is. When everything feels urgent and there is no pause between deadlines, stress compounds.
Lack of clarity is another major contributor. When priorities shift without explanation or expectations are vague, uncertainty increases. And uncertainty increases anxiety. As Amy shared during the masterclass, clarity is calming. Even when leaders do not have every answer, communication reduces stress.
Always-on culture adds another layer. Constant notifications, back-to-back meetings, and after-hours messages keep the brain on high alert. Employees who struggle to disconnect rarely allow their nervous systems to reset.
Recognition also plays a significant role. When feedback only shows up in the form of correction, employees begin to feel unseen or replaceable. Over time, that lack of acknowledgment leads to emotional withdrawal. People need to know their work matters.
The Ripple Effect of Burnout
Burnout does not stay contained at work. It affects physical and mental health and can contribute to chronic stress symptoms, digestive issues, high blood pressure, anxiety, and isolation.
For organizations, the cost is equally high.
Burnout can lead to:
- Reduced engagement
- Higher turnover
- Weakened morale
- Increased healthcare spend
Left unaddressed, it slowly erodes culture from the inside out.
Practical Ways to Prevent Burnout
The encouraging takeaway from the masterclass was this: preventing burnout does not require a massive overhaul. It requires consistent leadership habits.
Recognition is one of the simplest and most powerful starting points. A specific acknowledgment of someone’s contribution can restore energy and connection quickly. It does not need to be elaborate. Employees often value a meaningful note more than a financial incentive because it feels personal.
Encouraging micro-boundaries throughout the day can also make a measurable difference. Leaving space between meetings, stepping away from email during lunch, and creating a simple end-of-day shutdown ritual allow the brain to reset before stress accumulates.
Clear priorities matter as well. When employees understand what matters most right now and how their work connects to company goals, overwhelm decreases. Clarity restores a sense of control.
Finally, psychological safety is essential. Employees need to be able to say they are feeling burned out without fear of being labeled weak or unmotivated. Burnout is not a character flaw. It is information.
Moving From Burnout to Balance
Today’s workforce spans multiple generations with different experiences and expectations. While attitudes toward stress may vary, burnout itself is universal. It is human.
The good news is that burnout is preventable when leaders pay attention early. It starts small with a shift in tone, energy, or engagement. When leaders respond with clarity, recognition, and space for recovery, those small sparks never become flames.
If you are working to improve employee engagement, strengthen retention, and build a healthier workplace culture, start with something simple this week.
Offer specific recognition.
Clarify one priority.
Encourage a real break.
Small, consistent actions build balanced teams. And balanced teams build stronger organizations.
