The State of Burnout Study 2026

The world is moving through a period of ongoing polycrisis — marked by economic uncertainty, rapid technological disruption, workforce instability, and rising social pressures. 

These interconnected challenges are reshaping how people experience work and amplifying the strain placed on employees and organisations alike.

Workplace burnout continues to be a constant across industries, impacting wellbeing, engagement, productivity, retention, quality of work, and organisational performance. As demands increase and uncertainty persists, burnout is increasingly being recognised as not simply an individual issue, but as a systemic organisational challenge.

Now entering its sixth year, the 2026 State of Workplace Burnout Study by Infinite Potential continues to build on the leading longitudinal research programs examining burnout, workplace sustainability, and the future of work.

Infinite Potential is looking to partner with organisations and agencies to collaborate and enhance our research and insights. Through strong partnerships, IP can expand its reach and impact in providing ground-breaking research and practice advice to help leaders and organisations address burnout. 

The world is filled with uncertainties. Leaders need answers to support their people and their business.

Rising levels of uncertainties are affecting productivity, engagement, retention, work quality, innovation, and organisational culture across industries. At the same time, employees are navigating increasing cognitive load, constant change, economic uncertainty, and growing concerns around AI disruption and job security. 

The 2026 State of Workplace Burnout Study provides organisations with the opportunity to better understand the systemic and cultural conditions impacting their workforce. Rather than focusing only on symptoms, the study helps identify the underlying drivers of burnout, disengagement, and reduced performance.

Participation in the study enables organisations to:

• Benchmark their workforce against broader industry and national trends 
• Understand how cognitive load and workplace friction impact productivity and work quality 
• Gain insights into engagement, wellbeing, burnout, and sustainable performance 
• Better understand the impact of AI disruption and job security stress on employees 
• Explore how different intersectional groups are experiencing the work environment. 

In an increasingly uncertain environment, how organisations design work and support their people will shape not only employee wellbeing, but also their ability to adapt, innovate, and perform sustainably over time.

Forward-thinking organisations are moving beyond traditional engagement strategies and recognising that sustainable performance requires more than perks or wellbeing programs. They are using evidence-based insights to create workplaces where people can thrive, contribute meaningfully, and sustain high performance without sacrificing their wellbeing.

We can't fight burnout alone, join the movement so we can solve this problem together.