The information contained in this article is not intended as legal advice and may no longer be accurate due to changes in the law. Consult NHMA's legal services or your municipal attorney.
Emotionally drained, depressed, or burnout? How you can help employees at every stage.
There have been some budget issues, zoning disagreements, and staff changes at the town office. You have an employee who comes into work every day — but they are not really at work. Meeting participation is minimal, group lunches or social opportunities are avoided, and training opportunities are declined. Their comments about the town and their job are increasingly negative and cynical.
Is it burnout or is it depression?
Let’s take a look to find out where this employee sits on the stress spectrum.
What is burnout?
People who have burnout feel exhausted, empty, and, as the name states, burned out. (National Library of Medicine)
Exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficiency are the defining features of burnout. (American Psychological Association)
What is depression?
Depression is a common and serious mental disorder that negatively affects how a person feels, thinks, acts, and perceives the world. (American Psychiatric Association)
How are burnout and depression different?
With depression, negative thoughts and feelings are about all areas of life — not just work. (National Library of Medicine)
So, in the example above, if that employee is also sad, feels tired all the time, and is not interested in their usual activities outside of work, they could be suffering from depression.
Isn’t burnout just stress?
Burnout is thought to be caused by work-related or other kinds of stress, but it is more than the usual feelings of being stressed. People are drained, emotionally exhausted, and may even develop physical symptoms like gastrointestinal issues.
What are the types of burnout?
According to Headspace, there are three types:
- Frenetic: Employees who are so committed to their work they don’t focus on their well-being, ending up overworked and exhausted.
- Under-challenged: Employees who were once engaged with their work and lost interest over time, resulting in indifference or apathy.
- Worn-out: Employees who, after a prolonged period of feeling undervalued or poorly managed, are now so disengaged they completely disregard the responsibilities of their job.
Who is at risk for burnout?
Four in five employees feel emotionally drained from their work, which is an early sign of burnout. (Mental Health America)
Research from Moodle found 66% of American employees are experiencing some sort of burnout in 2025.
Nearly 44% of women feel burnout, compared to 35% of their male coworkers. (Fortune)
Why should employers care about burnout?
Burnout can lead to reductions in productivity and increases in absenteeism. It can hurt a team’s ability to collaborate and connect and, in severe cases, can lead to leaves of absence or cause employees to quit. (World Health Organization)
Burnout takes a toll on an employee’s mind — and body. More than two thirds (77%) of employees say work stress has negatively impacted their physical health. Half of employees reported they have cried because of work issues, and 58% have considered quitting their jobs as a result of their mental health. (Headspace)
What can employers do to help?
With the rates of mental health issues increasing in the modern workforce, supporting employees’ emotional well-being has never been more critical. Mental health issues are not just personal issues. They can also impact productivity, satisfaction, absenteeism, and more — all of which can significantly affect an organization. (Personify Health)
Employers, of course, are not going to be able to diagnose employees. But you can offer mental health benefits as part of medical coverage to help employees with depression. Or, you can offer time off from work or suggest a longer vacation to help those with burnout recover from symptoms.
Other workplace strategies include:
- Making work a safe place so employees have increased comfort in discussing mental health at work. Conversation and support may contribute to lower burnout on the job. (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
- Helping employees establish connections at work by providing opportunities to interact or work as a team. It could be something as simple as a fun team-building exercise at the next meeting.
- Taking a look at your organization’s practices to make sure workers have the control, flexibility, and resources to manage workload. Regularly check in with employees, provide flexible working arrangements (if possible), and encourage time off. (World Health Organization)
- Creating a work environment that prioritizes well-being and implementing wellness programs to meet employee needs. Almost half (46%) of employees prioritize well-being benefits over pay increases. (Forbes)