'Time poverty is a big driver of burnout and overall diminished health and life/work satisfaction'
A growing crisis of time poverty is leaving employees burned out and unhappy at work, according to a leading health expert.
Time poverty, as defined by Guider, is where an individual feels they do not have time to do all the things they need or want to do.
Wondr Health's poll among nearly 2,000 employees revealed that paid time off (PTO) or mental health days are the most-cited resource to reduce stress and anxiety.
But time poverty is taking those days away.
A separate poll from Solitaired this year revealed that 47% of Americans have left some PTO on the table in 2024, with their top reasons including work.
"The most common reasons we see for people skipping PTO include things like internalised pressure, heavy workloads, and organisational culture. Time poverty is a big driver of burnout and overall diminished health and life/work satisfaction," said Tim Church, chief medical officer at Wondr Health, in a statement.
"The findings show how important time off and flexibility are and signal that employers need to honestly evaluate how their current culture and policies may be impacting PTO hesitancy, burnout and subsequent impacts on health and wellness," Church said.
But even if some employees are able to utilise their PTO, Church warned that some are unable to fully unplug and get the most out of their time away from work.
Previous findings from Dayforce found that only 37% of employees in the US, Canada, and the United Kingdom can completely switch off work while on vacation.
Church warned that burnout is a complex issue that will require a multi-faceted approach to address.
"But what really drives long-term mental and physical health is always rooted in behaviour change," he said.
According to Wondr Health's poll, other important mental health resources include:
"To be ahead of the curve, employers should focus on crafting a wellness strategy firmly rooted in behavioural science to truly help employees build the skills they need to reclaim their time and navigate stress to boost overall health and productivity," Church said.
