For decades, researchers have looked at the many factors that lead to burnout in the workplace. However, a blind spot is sex. Burnout affects thousands of workers every year, and now a study has revealed just how different the problem is for men and women.
“Our results show that there are differences between men and women because workers are subject to different working conditions from the outset, depending on their gender,” said the study's lead author. Indeed, female employees often burn out faster because of the nature of their work.
“Many women have positions that offer little leeway in decision-making, meaning that their work provides them with only a low level of authority and decision-making power and makes little use of their skills,” said the researcher. “This kind of position, which men have less control over, causes women to burn out.”
In their study, the researchers found that lower self-esteem and increased work-family conflict, for example when work intrudes on time spent with loved ones or lacks energy for non-work activities, are much more common in women and often cause that they will burn out.
Time spent on household chores (for example, washing dishes or running errands) can help women avoid burnout, the researchers also found. "This is one of the most surprising findings of our study," said the researcher. “We have found that many women use household chores as a strategy to escape the demands of their work and to 'ventilate'.
What about men? The factors that lead to burnout in men are more complex and related to time management, the researchers found. More hours worked or more frequent atypical schedules lead to more conflict between work and family, affecting men's mental health.
However, some factors are not related to gender. Excessive psychological demands, job insecurity and a lack of recognition at work all lead to burnout in both men and women.
