Burnout in Canada

Burnout stress: effects on health and personal life

Health effects

• Chronic fatigue, sleep problems, and persistent exhaustion
• Headaches, muscle tension, and digestive issues
• Weakened immune function and higher illness risk
• Mood and cognitive changes (irritability, anxiety, depressive symptoms, difficulty concentrating)

Personal life effects

• Strained relationships and more frequent conflicts
• Less patience and energy for partner, children, and friends
• Withdrawal from social activities and hobbies
• Poor self-care and weaker boundary-setting, leading to a downward cycle

Quick coping steps

• Set small boundaries, improve sleep hygiene, and build brief rest breaks into the day
• Reach out for support (supervisor/HR, Employee Assistance Program, or a clinician)
• Try brief, evidence-based strategies (e.g., 5-minute breathing, micro-breaks)

If appropriate, consider employer-supported resources like October for digital group sessions and assessments to help reduce burnout risk and support teams. In Canada, your employer’s EAP and workplace wellness programs can be a good starting point.

• Lower productivity and GDP growth: Burnout reduces concentration, decision-making quality, and overall output across sectors, weighing on economic growth in Canada.
• Higher absenteeism and presenteeism: More sick days and workers operating at reduced capacity, increasing costs and lowering effective labor input.
• Increased turnover and talent costs: Burnout drives mid-career exits; recruitment, onboarding, and lost firm-specific knowledge raise expenses, a concern in Canada’s tight labor market.
• Greater healthcare and social costs: More mental-health care, disability claims, and workers’ compensation, placing additional demand on public health and social systems.
• Reduced labor supply and long-term growth potential: Early retirement and lower participation, especially among aging workers, dampening potential GDP and tax revenue.

• Cap working hours and limit overtime

  • Enforce national standards for weekly hours, mandated breaks, and overtime compensation to reduce chronic overwork and burnout.

• Guarantee paid vacation and sick leave

  • Legislated minimums for paid vacation and mental-health–friendly sick leave to lessen financial stress and provide recovery time.

• Expand universal mental health care and access

  • Fund and integrate mental health services with primary care, reduce wait times, and ensure parity with physical health care; include digital options for greater reach.

• Require psychosocial risk assessments and burnout prevention in workplaces

  • Mandate regular assessments of workplace psychosocial hazards and require employers to implement burnout prevention programs and supportive policies.

• Strengthen family- and work-life balance policies

  • Expand affordable childcare, strengthen parental leave, and promote flexible or hybrid work arrangements to reduce caregiving stress.

• Invest in public mental health literacy and scalable digital supports

  • Fund public awareness campaigns and partner with platforms like October to provide accessible group sessions, assessments, and content within public programs or employer offerings.

• Regular burnout risk assessment and monitoring
  Use anonymous surveys and validated scales; track trends over time and act on results.

• Manage workload and expectations
  Balance staffing, set clear priorities, avoid chronic overtime, and protect personal time.

• Improve job design and autonomy
  Increase decision-making freedom, align work with strengths, offer flexible scheduling when possible.

• Strengthen leadership and workplace culture
  Train managers to recognize burnout, foster psychological safety, and conduct regular supportive 1:1 check-ins.

• Provide accessible mental health resources
  Promote EAPs and Canadian resources; consider digital programs like October for group sessions, assessments, and content to support teams.