Employees' full spectrum of responsibilities causing burnout

As previously reported, Allianz Australia's primary psychological workers' compensation claims had a relative increase of 28.4% between FY21 and FY25. And in FY25, mental stress and work pressure made up 34% of these claims.

Allianz research also shows 59% of employees have experienced mental distress as a result of work overload, citing workload pressure, excessive meetings, and unrealistic deadlines as key drivers.

But Allianz national manager of mental health strategy and delivery, Brianna Cattanach, also highlights that:

• a "staggering" 73% of surveyed employees report being unable to schedule regular personal time for themselves; and
• when it comes to household duties, 78% aren't splitting responsibilities equally, and 81% don't have a reliable network to help with routine tasks like school drop-offs or caregiving.

Therefore, she says, the onus is on workplaces to "address and mitigate burnout by considering the full spectrum of responsibilities and activities that contribute to this experience".

Allianz has launched a new series of resources as part of its 'unschedule the burnout' initiative, and among other things it calls on employers to:

• foster a sense of value and respect among employees to reduce feelings of injustice;
• enforce good workplace habits and boundaries;
• improve workplace communication about stress and wellbeing; and
• promote autonomy and ownership at work.