Younger men reporting 'alarming' levels of burnout

Male ‘Millennial’ or ‘Gen Z’ employees are reporting “alarming” levels of burnout, research has suggested.

The Cigna 2023 Vitality Study of more than 10,000 people in 12 countries, including more than 1,200 in the UK, found that a majority (87%) of Gen Z, or those aged 26 or under, and Millennials (77%), or aged 27 to 42, had struggled into work when they were unwell. Two-thirds (66%) of ‘Generation X’ employees, or those aged 43 to 58, had also done so.

As a result, virtually all (98%) of Gen Z, 89% of Millennials, and 81% of Gen X male employees said they were experiencing at least one symptom of burnout, it warned.

This ‘always on’ mentality was leading to a growing disconnect between employees and employers, with four in five Gen Z (80%) displaying signs of presenteeism at work, falling to 66% for Millennials, but even this of course equates to two-thirds of this cohort.

Dr Stella George, chief medical officer, international health, at Cigna Healthcare, said: “As individuals and as employers, we need to take account of people’s whole environment – with all its interconnected facets and vulnerabilities.”

In response to the research, mental health campaigner Geoff McDonald called for organisations to take male mental health more seriously.

“Among men, particularly those in middle management and senior management positions, there is still a high degree of stigma surrounding mental health in the workplace,” he said.

“Even though we have made progress in recent years, there is still the masculine stereotype in the corporate world that people think they must live up to. That means many find it hard to be vulnerable and talk about any emotional and mental health struggles they might have,” McDonald added.