In 2019, the World Health organisation classified burnout as an occupational phenomenon resulting from chronic workplace stress. It affects workforces globally, and it's on the rise.

While the enormous uncertainty we faced during the pandemic heightened people's experience of burnout, it also magnified concerns that existed in the workplace long before COVID, as distinct from people feeling generally stressed or spread too thinly. This is because the main causes of burnout are rooted in organisational culture rather than in an individual's ability to cope – and as an organisational problem, an organisational response is needed.