Jennifer Moss is the author The Burnout Epidemic, published by Harvard Business Press in 2021.

What is Burnout

The Definition of Burnout – Updated in 2019

Although the concept of occupational burnout originated in the 1970s, the medical community has debated its definition for decades. In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) formally recognized burnout in its International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), describing it as:

"a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed."

The WHO identifies burnout by three key dimensions:

  • Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion

  • Increased mental distance from one's job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job

  • Reduced professional efficacy

This definition is significant because it reframes burnout as more than just an individual issue; it highlights burnout as an organizational problem that demands systemic solutions.

Plain Language Definition of Burnout:

“A set of symptoms we experience when we can’t keep up with the day-to-day or week-to-week stress of work.”

Common Misconception - Why Self-Care Isn’t Enough

Good leaders know that burnout is a critical issue, and many organizations have attempted to address it by offering services and perks aimed at reducing stress. While these efforts are well-intentioned, they’re not enough. Self-care—the prevention strategy du jour for decades—has failed to stem the rise of burnout. Why? Because self-care initiatives focus on treating the symptoms rather than addressing the root causes of workplace stress.

To address burnout effectively, leaders need to internalize a fundamental shift in perspective: burnout is about the organization, not the individual. Yoga sessions, meditation apps, and wellness programs can help employees feel healthier and more balanced, but suggesting these tools as the "cure" for burnout is misguided. This approach unfairly places the burden of prevention on individuals instead of addressing systemic and institutional factors.

What Causes Burnout?

According to Christina Maslach, Susan Jackson, and Michael Leiter, leading researchers on burnout, there are six primary causes:

  1. Workload

  2. Perceived lack of control

  3. Lack of reward or recognition

  4. Poor relationships

  5. Lack of fairness

  6. Values mismatch

These causes clearly show that burnout originates in organizational systems rather than with individuals. Leadership must implement prevention strategies that address these upstream causes instead of focusing solely on downstream interventions.

Maslach offers a compelling metaphor: employees are like canaries in a coal mine. Canaries, healthy and singing, enter the mine as early warning systems for toxic gases. If they come out sick or silent, it’s not because the canaries failed; it’s because the environment was toxic. Similarly, when employees experience burnout, the question isn’t why they couldn’t cope but why the workplace allowed conditions to become harmful in the first place.

We will cover each of the six root causes of burnout further along in this series.

Critical to Solving Burnout - Rethinking Organizational Culture

Imagine that building a healthy workplace culture is like creating a well-executed recipe. You need the right ingredients (employees), clear directives (policies), and a skilled leader to bring everything together into a cohesive whole. When these elements are out of sync, you get bad culture—a recipe for disengagement and burnout.

Culture plays a massive role in the burnout epidemic. While it’s essential to help employees develop skills that support their mental health, such as resilience and emotional intelligence, battling burnout requires organizations to go further. Employees are ultimately responsible for their own happiness, but leaders have a duty to create conditions that support, rather than undermine, well-being.

Burnout arises when these conditions fail. It’s not confined to a single industry or sector. Millions of employees worldwide experience burnout, and their stories often reveal the same patterns. The consistency of burnout’s origin—systemic issues within the workplace—underscores the need for organizations to rethink their prevention strategies.

Moving Our Focus Upstream: Real Solutions to Burnout

To produce better outcomes, leaders must focus on the upstream factors that lead to employee happiness and well-being. This requires a shift from reactive self-care initiatives to proactive organizational changes. By addressing issues like workload, fairness, and recognition, companies can create environments where employees thrive and burnout is no longer inevitable.

The message is clear: the solution to burnout isn’t another yoga class or mindfulness app. It’s systemic change driven by leaders who take ownership of their organization’s role in fostering well-being.