The single biggest factor that makes a difference to whether your employee is able to return to work successfully after burnout

If I was to pick one thing that is fundamental to a successful return to work after burnout, it would be a sense of perceived control/autonomy at work.

In one study, burnt out employees who were off sick from work were followed up for 2 years. And at the end of the 2 year period, the ONLY thing that made a difference as to whether or not they were back at work or whether they were still off sick was a sense of control and perceived autonomy.

That’s right, the only thing.

Of course, there are other workplace factors and individual factors that affect a burnt out employee’s ability to return to work successfully after burnout, but this appears to be the most significant individual factor. We also know that a perceived lack of control over work is a direct risk factor for burnout, and is a key contributor for burnout culture within organisations too.

If you are looking to support a burnt out employee to successfully return to the workplace after burnout, then this is one of the key things you must concentrate on. Working out which things the employee perceives to be out of control will help you to work out what needs to change in order for them to come back to work well, and to stay recovered.