New report shows 63% of employees feel somewhat or extremely burnt out
Nearly two-thirds of employees in New Zealand are experiencing burnout, according to a new report, which found that employees remain under high mental health risk.
The 2025 TELUS Health Barometer revealed that 63% of employees in New Zealand feel somewhat or extremely burnt out, with 25% citing their high workload as the leading source of it.
It comes as 37% of workers remain at high mental health risk, higher than the 36% in April 2022.
According to the report, employees in New Zealand face constant stress (41%), anxiety (37%), and isolation (34%).
"In many New Zealand workplaces, issues like anxiety, isolation and chronic stress have become more widespread and deeply felt in recent years," the report read.
"Women and younger employees are disproportionately affected, reporting higher levels of anxiety and persistent feelings of disconnection."
Better mental health initiatives needed
The findings underscore the need for improved mental health initiatives in the workplace, considering that only 47% of employees said they are satisfied with their employer's mental health coverage, according to the report.
More than half of employees (55%) added that they do not know or say if their employer does not offer an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) (55%).
Another 22% said they do not know if their employer provides mental health benefits, or report that their employer does not provide mental health benefits.
"Many workers lack awareness and satisfaction of mental health and wellbeing programmes at work," the report read.
It is crucial that employers provide tailored and easy-to-access mental health resources to employees in order to foster a culture of trust, engagement, and wellbeing, according to the report.
"EAPs should offer multiple access points including by phone, digital tools or in-person sessions to meet the needs of each unique worker, where they are in their mental health journey," it read. "Including self-guided or self-paced programmes can also engage individuals who may not be ready for 1:1 counselling."
It also underscored the need to excel in delivering and promoting mental health and wellbeing programmes actively.
"Since the workforce is diverse, it's essential to consider varied communication channels to inform your workers of key resources available to them, especially when crises arise," the report read.
Meanwhile, the report also urged employers to equip managers with tools and resources to help them identify and address different sources of work stress.
"Addressing sources of stress, such as manager relationships, workload issues, and job insecurity concerns, can improve employee mental health while helping to boost organisational efficiency and performance," the report said.
