Employee burnout is business risk companies should avoid – Expert

…Over half of Nigerian employees report feeling overwhelmed at work

Yetunde Anibaba, a senior lecturer at Lagos business school has advised businesses to avoid employee burnout as it is a business risk.

She noted this while revealing the stark reality from the findings of BettaLife’s Well-being@Workplace survey, that over half of Nigerian employees reported feeling overwhelmed, while nearly 20 percent admitted they often felt at breaking point.

Anibaba shared these while moderating at a recent workplace well-being forum hosted by BettaLife founded by Ayodeji Bankole-Olusina in collaboration with Businessday, Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM), Nigerian Employers Consultative Forum (NEVA) and Enterprise Development Center of the Pan-Atlantic university.

The gathering had business leaders, human resource executives, and mental health advocates gathered to explore one pressing question: ‘How much work is too much?’.

The discussion was anchored around findings from the Well-being@Workplace survey, with the theme: ‘Burnout: How much work is too much? Redefining workload for sustainable well-being’,

According to her companies need to face the reality that that employee burnout exists and is happening. “Burnout is not inevitable, and pretending it is not happening is a luxury no business can afford.”

The message was clear that Nigerian employers must evolve as the future will favour leaders who lead with empathy, curiosity and presence.

Anibaba noted that the culture of glorifying workplace burnout was under scrutiny as burnout reached crisis levels in Nigeria’s workforce, with unfortunately the most affected groups being employees aged 18 to 35, the very cohort expected to drive the future of work.

From people to process: A call for cultural re-engineering

The solution was agreed to be an urgent need to redesign work environments that centre on people, not just productivity.

“Let’s stop designing work around process. Design it around people and performance will follow,” Olumide Adeosun, CEO of Eternal Plc said.

Using a vivid metaphor, he stressed that leadership must be accountable for the environments they create. Adeosun likened workplace influence to pickle. He said, “Put a cucumber in vinegar, and it becomes a pickle. The environment changes everything.”

Bukola Smith, CEO of FSDH Merchant Bank, echoed this sentiment, emphasising that there is indeed an emotional dimension of the workplace.

“It’s not just about financial well-being. People want to be seen, heard and supported. You can’t keep demanding performance without enabling it.”

She further noted that burnout disproportionately affects women in middle management, adding, “The data confirmed what we’ve long suspected; burnout is gendered, layered, and systemic.”

Psychological safety: A non-negotiable

The forum also highlighted the critical role of psychological safety. Nneka Jethro- Iruobe, executive director at The Happy Employee Company ltd., urged employees to look beyond their salaries as the source of stress.

“Most staff think that workplace pressure is about the salary; but what about feeling undervalued, under-challenged, or unsupported?” she asked. “Occupational well-being, not compensation, is the strongest predictor of loyalty.”

Technology and the ‘Always on’ work culture

Modern digital tools were also flagged as key contributors to stress, hence boundaries need to be adhered to.

“When Microsoft Teams is ringing on your phone, iPad and watch, it’s impossible to switch off,” admitted Adeosun. “Unless you set firm boundaries, you’ll live in a constant state of urgency.”

Generational expectations in the workplace

Adeosun admitted that while older generations endured toxic work cultures in silence, the Gen Zs are unwilling to do so, and perhaps rightly so.

“We powered through because we were taught to. But Gen Z wouldn’t, nor should they. They’re asking for purpose and balance. If we don’t offer it, they’ll walk away”, she said

It was observed that young individuals are increasingly unafraid to leave their current positions or organisations and this sentiment was considered justified. The reason is because that attitude is rooted in reasonable expectation of better conditions, not rooted in entitlement.

Additionally, it was noted that employee burnout should not be interpreted as a lack of willingness or commitment. Instead, it reflects a lack of adequate support, which was identified as a failure of leadership in the workplace.

According to Smith, a number of wellness-focused initiatives were introduced in her organisation to promote healthier habits among employees.

These include hourly prompts reminding staff to take breaks and hydrate, as well as walks aimed at fostering a sense of balance and physical wellbeing.

While seemingly minor, Smith emphasised that these reminders send a clear signal that employee wellbeing is a priority.

Jethro-Iruobe remarked that genuine wellness is about daily choices made by leadership. She added that managers must therefore create environments defined by trust, not tension.

Rewriting leadership, belonging and boundaries

The experts agreed that workplace culture must shift from traditional command-and-control to emotionally intelligent leadership.

“At home, if you need space, you go to your room,” said Adesanya. “But who gets to shut a door in the office?”

The panelist drew attention to the cultural roots of workplace reticence, attributing it to early conditioning.

She noted that many people had grown up avoiding eye contact with their elders, a behaviour that now infiltrates professional settings.

Yvonne Akintola, director of Human capital development at Polaris bank elaborated on the need for authentic engagement in the workplace, sharing the importance of connecting with staff.

She underscored the deep emotional intelligence required of modern leaders. Her message resonated strongly, “If you can’t connect to their hearts, don’t expect their hands to move.”

Tailoring strategy: Listening before scaling

The panel spotlighted the importance of bespoke, evidence-based approaches to workplace wellbeing and innovation.

HR leaders were advised to use data to highlight disparities in workload and compensation, by defining the scope, and benchmarking it to strategically create a workplace that is free of burnout and hence productive.