The Industries Where Workers Experience Burnout Most Often
Many of us have heard the saying, "If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life," but unfortunately, many Americans don't view their career this way. Often, a job is simply a necessary aspect of life to pay bills, buy food, and live well.
Sometimes, people have a job they enjoy. Still, many Americans are constantly faced with draining days at the office, from customers screaming in their faces to covering the work of two people because they are understaffed. Many things can result in a worker feeling burnt out, but what industries and companies have the most employees potentially heading for the door?
To find out, our team at BBADegree.org collected Glassdoor reviews from more than 500 of the largest companies in the U.S., Creating a ratio of burnout mentions to overall reviews. We ranked the companies and their industries to determine where workers often experience burnout. Read on to see what we learned.
Key Takeaways
- Employees at Progressive and Chipotle Mexican Grill complain the most about burnout.
- Workers in the restaurants and food service industry complain about burnout most.
- Paychex, Amazon, and Coinbase employees experience burnout most of the time among workers in the information technology industry.
- Employees at Live Nation Entertainment experience the most burnout among workers in the media and communication industry.
The Companies Where Americans Feel Most Burned Out
Feeling a little stressed or tired occasionally when working is natural, but the problem develops when those feelings are constant. This is the start of burnout. While feeling burnt out can impact the work you produce, it can also have a lasting impact on your mental health.
While this is not a new development, the COVID-19 pandemic amplified burnout in the workplace, especially in the healthcare industry. So, our team set out to find where Americans are experiencing the most burnout at work.
The first place for the most employee complaints about burnout is Progressive, with 98.11 out of 100. On Glassdoor, the insurance company has a 3.8-star overall out of 5, with the lowest rating in the work-life balance category with a 3.5 rating. Perhaps this imbalance has led to the employee burnout our research discovered.
Chipotle Mexican Grill comes in second with a 97.72 out of 100. Among the keywords searched, we found the most common in reviews for both Progressive and Chipotle Mexican Grill is "stressful." According to the Mayo Clinic, "Job burnout is a stress linked to work. It includes being worn out physically or emotionally. Job burnout also may involve feeling useless, powerless, and empty."
The third for worker burnout is AutoNation, with a score of 83.77 out of 100. The automotive retailer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has a 3.4-star rating out of 5 on Glassdoor, a 2.7-star rating for work-life balance, and a 3.1-star rating for senior management.
According to the Mayo Clinic, a lack of support and problems with work-life balance are two of the six possible causes of workplace burnout. Lower scores in both categories likely contributed to employees feeling burned out.
For the complete breakdown, see the interactive table below:
The Most Burnout Industries in America
During the COVID-19 pandemic, professionals in the healthcare industry experienced burnout at a rapid pace. This wasn't a new phenomenon, though. Burnout existed long before the pandemic. So, after hearing about the doctors, nurses, and more impacted, our team wanted to know how the healthcare industry stacks up against other industries for workplace burnout.
The restaurant and food service industry is leading the way with a 98.04 out of 100. The most common keywords found among reviews for companies within this industry included "stressful" and "long hours." Considering restaurants’ varying hours nationwide, it is no surprise that people working in the industry would be exposed to extended hours.
In second place for workplace burnout is the transportation and logistics industry. Our team analyzed company ratings on Glassdoor to find the average for each category by industry and found that the transportation and logistics industry is among the bottom five for career opportunities.
The construction, repair, and maintenance services industry is coming in third, with a burnout score of 80.64 out of 100. Like the restaurant and food service industry, construction workers often report "stressful" work and "long hours" in their Glassdoor reviews. Additionally, "overwhelming" was another common keyword found in reviews left by employees.
So we understand what plays a role in feeling burned out, but what is the cost of it? The Mayo Clinic warns, "Doing nothing about job burnout can worsen the problems." Experts share that burnout might result in workers feeling drained, unable to cope or sleep, and feeling sad, angry, irritable, or numb. In addition, burnout can cause people to use coping mechanisms like the use of alcohol and other substances, and it can raise the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, type two diabetes, and getting sick.
The Most Burned Out Companies by Industry
After finding the companies and industries with the most employee complaints of burnout, we wanted to see the top companies by industry to gain an overall picture of workplace burnout in the U.S.
In the financial services industry, employees at Blackstone, an investment management company, complain most about burnout. In the healthcare industry, DaVita ranked first with a burnout score of 69.95 out of 100.
In the hotels and travel accommodation industry, employees at Lowes, a hospitality company, reported the most signs of burnout in Glassdoor reviews. In the information technology industry, Paychex ranked first for burnout.
In the manufacturing industry, Elon Musk's company, Tesla, ranked first for employee burnout. With a burnout score 53.27, Live Nation Entertainment claimed the number one spot for employee burnout in the media and communication industry.
Similarly, Moderna was first for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, Chipotle Mexican Grill ranked highest for burnout in the restaurants and food service industry, AutoNation was first in the retail and wholesale sector, and Hertz Global Holdings reviews showed the most employee burnout among transportation and logistics industry workers.
Many people face workplace burnout, whether employees at one of the country’s largest companies or a small family-run business. While burnout is generally caused by aspects of their job that are outside their control, there are ways to handle burnout that remain in their hands.
According to the Mayo Clinic, there are six ways to overcome workplace burnout. The first is to consider your options to determine if your boss can help fix the issues or if it's time to start looking for a new job. Second, turn to co-workers, friends, or loved ones for support as you navigate the situation.
The remaining tips are simple activities to help keep your mind off the problem when you aren't at work. By engaging in relaxing activities, getting more exercise, getting more sleep, and practicing mindfulness, you could begin to see improvement.
For the complete breakdown, see the interactive table below:
Avoid Burnout With New Opportunities
Sometimes, burnout results from having too little work to do or being tired of your industry. This could signify that it's time to look for a new opportunity, whether a promotion at your current company or a role with a new employer.
At BBADegree.org, we understand the importance of elevating your career to the next level. That's why we work to help others discover the world of opportunities that a bachelor of business administration degree can open up for them.
Get started today by searching for programs offered in your state to learn more about how the knowledge and skills earned through the degree can help further your career. Don't stop there; continue looking to the future by checking out the career opportunities a bachelor of business administration degree could allow you to qualify for.
Methodology
In this study, we collected Glassdoor reviews for more than 500 of the largest companies in the U.S., according to a Forbes 2023 ranking. To build this list, Forbes used the latest financial data available and ranked the largest companies in the world using four metrics: sales, profits, assets, and market value.
For this study, we focused on companies based in the U.S. with at least 100 reviews on Glassdoor. We then analyzed the reviews for keywords associated with employee burnout, including burnout, stress, exhaustion, depression, and more. We then totaled the keyword counts and divided the number of burnout mentions by the total number of reviews for the company on Glassdoor. Next, we converted those ratings to a 0 to 100 scale, with 100 representing the most burnout. Using these scores, we then ranked the companies and industries where workers experience burnout the most.
The data collected on Glassdoor includes information regarding the company’s industry. We used Glassdoor’s industry page to help group similar specialties into general industry groups.
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