New study shows local workers experiencing record burnout

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- It's quickly become a pandemic within the pandemic: burnout.

A record number of employees say they're overworked, overstressed and desperate for time off.

Forty-four percent of people in Philadelphia are feeling burnout right now, whether they've been working from home or at the office.

That's what Robert Half found in this new study.

And here's why: the pandemic added new, uncharted levels of stress to both our home life, and our work environment.

"Most places were reporting understaffing, heavier workload, feeling stressed out, but they wanted to keep their employment," says Brittany Nisenzon, a branch manager for Robert Half.

"Unfortunately, because a lot of people are at home, it's a little more difficult to separate and get away."

Because of all of those factors, they found 1 in 4 workers also forfeited paid time off in 2020.

This breaking point of burnout is leading to a shift. This year, those same employees say they plan to take more than three weeks of vacation time.

This week marks two years since the World Health Organization recognized burnout as an occupational phenomenon.

With the numbers rising, Half suggests this to employers: when workers are off, let them unplug and recharge.