Georgia employed adults and executives report shocking levels of burnout impacting their job performance and overall mental wellness according to a new report released today by goBeyondProfit and Georgia CEO. 

The report found that a striking 70% of employed adults in Georgia feel some level of burnout in their job, with one-in-five indicating that burnout is directly affecting their work performance. This phenomenon is not isolated to Georgia’s workforce, as 2 out of 3 Georgia-based executives admit they are experiencing some level of burnout. Additionally, the data clarifies the critical importance of word choice when checking in on employee mental health and offers low-cost solutions to the burnout dilemma. 

The fifth annual report titled “2023 Business Generosity Report: Burnout’s Toll and Generosity-Based Solutions” can be found at: https://gobeyondprofit.org/research/burnouts-toll-and-generosity-based-solutions/

“Regardless of a company’s industry, location, or size, burnout is taking a toll in Georgia,” says Megan McCamey, President of goBeyondProfit. “As employers grapple with labor shortages and fears of a recession, new data finds that generosity-based solutions offer tangible business benefits in the fight against burnout.”

In today’s polarized environment, Georgians unanimously agree (99%) on the importance of generosity in business. The data confirms that employees are paying attention to how business leaders execute on their commitments and the report offers insight into employees’ shifting priorities.  

• People Are Questioning the Price of Loyalty: When given a list of ways a company can demonstrate generosity to employees, pay equity ranked as a new top choice for 91% of respondents. A deep dive into exactly what employees mean by pay equity revealed a near-universal concern that long-standing employees have paid a price for loyalty. This concern transcends age, race, and gender. 

• Flexibility Requests Are Mostly About Empathy: For the second consecutive year, flexible work remains the top-ranked demonstration of generosity for all respondents and is equally valued by men and women. Most employees define flexible work as the ability to balance work and life demands as they arise without having to take PTO – a definition shared by both men and women.  

• Employees Ask for Community Outreach Reboot: Once again financial contributions hold steady in first place as the top demonstration of generosity toward communities. However, sustainability efforts took a significant leap into the top three this year. The report explores how individuals define sustainability efforts and employees’ increased interest in matching gift programs and PTO for volunteering. 

• The Tightrope of Public Statements and Politics Remains: In the 2021 report, 91% of employed adults in Georgia said they expected their CEO to express a point of view about sensitive social issues. In this year’s survey, 63% of employed adults selected public statements on social issues as a somewhat or very important demonstration of generosity. While this represents a notable decline in employee sentiment, the majority of employees still view public statements as important. However, in the current political climate, more than half (54%) of employees stated political involvement by their employer was not very or not at all important. Balancing this distinction will continue to be a challenge for executives. 

The 2023 report is based on concurrent surveys that were conducted between March 27 – June 2. To see the full methodology, click here.

goBeyondProfit is a statewide alliance of more than 2,100 owners, operators, founders, and chief executives who pledge to go beyond profit and improve lives in Georgia. 

Georgia CEO is a network of local websites focused on business growth, innovation, and performance in 13 Georgia cities.