Managers are more likely than HR leaders to regard their organisation’s burnout prevention as ineffective, according to research from INTOO UK & Ireland.
Its Future World of Work 2026 report found that 43% of managers took that view, compared with 27% of HR leaders. The release also reports that 44% of employers said burnout had contributed to unwanted staff departures over the previous 12 months.
The findings come from a OnePoll survey of 1,000 respondents in UK organisations employing at least 250 people, conducted from 27 March to 9 April 2026. They describe respondents’ perceptions and reported experience, rather than independently establishing why individual employees left.
Look at how work is organised
Owen Morgan, managing director at INTOO UK & Ireland, said the findings should prompt employers to examine workloads and resources alongside individual wellbeing support.
“Our Future World of Work findings suggest many organisations are continuing to treat burnout as an individual wellbeing issue rather than an organisational design challenge.”
Owen Morgan, managing director, INTOO UK & Ireland
He said employers seeking to improve retention should focus on workloads, resources, leadership capability and workplace culture, rather than providing support only once people reach crisis point.
What respondents want to change
Asked what would make high performance sustainable, respondents highlighted pay, reward and recognition (21%); workload management and resourcing (20%); leadership behaviour and trust (19%); staffing levels and recruitment (15%); and work-life balance and flexible working (12%).
Matthew Collier, business development director at INTOO UK & Ireland, said: “Organisations that want to retain top talent need to redesign work itself, ensuring workloads, resources and expectations are aligned.”
Why it matters
For HR teams, the difference between managers’ and HR leaders’ responses is a reason to test whether support is working at team level. Reviewing workload expectations, staffing gaps and feedback from line managers can help identify pressures that a benefits programme alone cannot resolve.
INTOO is part of Gi Group Holding and provides career transition and employee development services.
Image: Owen Morgan, supplied by INTOO UK & Ireland via Eden PR.
