Almost one in three Belgian manual workers (32.9%) and one in four office workers (25.5%) is at risk of burnout in the country, according to a study by HR service provider Securex based on KU Leuven's Burnout Assessment Tool.
Over one in eight (13.6%) cases – more than half a million people – involve workers who are in the "red zone". This means that they already have severe burnout symptoms and are on the verge of burnout. Another 14.7% are in the "orange zone", with increased risk of burnout symptoms.
There are four core symptoms that characterise burnout: exhaustion (physical and mental), mental distancing (distancing from work), cognitive dysregulation (memory problems or concentration disorders) and emotional dysregulation (intense emotional reactions such as tantrums or bursting into tears).
"The total number of employees at risk of burnout (1,178,846) has remained more or less stable since 2021. However, we do see a clear difference in how that burnout risk evolves among manual workers and office workers as well as within certain age groups," said research project manager at Securex, Heidi Verlinden.
"This is why it is so important for companies to continue to pursue an integrated policy within the organisation, starting with a risk analysis tailored to their specific organisation, the sector in which they operate and the demographics of their employees," she added.
Manual workers most at risk
In 2024, almost one in three manual labourers are in the 'burnout risk zone' (32.9%) – almost a quarter more than in 2021 (+23.7%). In total, this concerns some 442,798 workers. Among office workers, the opposite evolution is taking place: the percentage fell by some 10.2%, from 29.5% in 2021 to 26.5% this year. Still, the group remains significant, at 592,143 people.
"From this study, blue-collar workers emerge as a risk group. This corresponds with findings from previous research based on the Burnout Assessment Tool. The fact that blue-collar and non-office workers score higher on burnout complaints is striking and deserves more attention from science and policy," said Professor Hans De Witte (KU Leuven).
Several factors may explain this reverse evolution. The private tax rate for manual workers has remained stable since 2021, while that for office workers improved significantly – which could partly explain the drop in burnout risk among the latter.
Additionally, job insecurity fell less among manual workers (-14.5%) than office workers (-19.2%), while increasing automation and monotony also affect burnout risk for the former.
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There are also clear differences within age groups, with people in their thirties (30 t0 39-years-old) having the highest burnout risk at 35.8% in 2024.
This age group experiences, on average, more role conflicts in the workplace compared to other age groups. There is also a higher private burden, often due to caring for young children, for example, and they experience more micro-management. These are all factors that make for a higher risk of burnout.
Additionally, Securex also found a significant increase in burnout risk among those in their early fifties (50 to 54-year-old) compared to 2021. Again, possible causes for this increase can be found both in the private sphere, for example the impact of care duties that this group takes on for their elderly parents, and in the workplace.
"While the combination of factors may be different for the two age groups, in both cases it can be explained in part by the impact of a new phase of life," Verlinden said. "For employers, it is therefore important to focus on measures that give confidence and increase the sense of autonomy and competence."
Cracking the burnout code
This can range from working from home or flexible hours to (temporarily) adjusting the concrete job content and offering training in the efficient use of technology. "It is then the employee's responsibility to use those tools effectively. This way, the employer and employee can work together to find a workable balance so the job is fun and meaningful but, above all, achievable."
Employers can also offer their employees additional support through an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). Such an EAP is a helpline that offers employees 24/7 support for personal and work-related problems that may affect their well-being. This is done with short, solution-oriented sessions given over the phone by qualified and trained psychologists.
"The better we succeed in identifying the biggest triggers of burnout risk, the more targeted we can focus on burnout prevention at the level of government, employer and employee," said De Witte. "And we all reap the benefits of that as a society."
