Occupational burnout is increasing in Finland, particularly among women, according to a study by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.
Workplace wellbeing has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, it said in a press release about the study on Wednesday.
Respondents of the institute's survey said they felt less able to work and be engaged at work during this past summer, compared to the summer of 2019.
"None of the studied experiences of wellbeing at work have improved. At best, the decrease has levelled out over the last couple of years. The results do not provide much cause for joy. Decreasing the incidence of occupational burnout and loneliness, which has increased for many, will both pose significant societal challenges," Jari Hakanen, an institute research professor, said.
However, according to specialist researcher Janne Kaltiainen, employers can do a lot to promote the wellbeing of their workers.
"This is done by developing working conditions in co-operation with the employees. This could entail increasing the opportunities for learning on the job and maintaining a sense of community. We should also do our best to avoid posing unreasonable expectations or demands on employees," Kaltiainen said.
This summer, groups who cited the most occupational burnout included females, those with lower educational backgrounds, and those under the age of 36.
Overall, around one quarter of the country's workers are in occupational burnout risk groups.
"Putting this in relation to the estimated size of the workforce two years ago, this means that roughly 625,000 employees are at an elevated risk of occupational burnout. Of this group, one in three experience [such] severe symptoms of occupational burnout that they are likely to hinder the person’s daily activities," Kaltiainen said in the release.
There are currently fewer people at every educational level who cited having no burnout symptoms than there were before the pandemic.
The institute also noted an increase in cognitive disorders which manifest in workers' diminished capacities for thought, memory and attention.
Hybrid work 'best' for wellbeing
"It would seem that the mechanism for the emergence of occupational burnout is becoming more varied. The starting point for the theory on occupational burnout is that chronic fatigue is a key underlying factor. According to our results, fatigue has not increased, but instead cognitive disorders and increasingly cynical attitudes towards work have become more prevalent both among men and women," Hakanen said.
The institute noted that at least at this point, hybrid work — that is, working both from home and at a workplace — would be the best way to promote wellbeing at work.
Working from home has benefits like saving time and resources, Hakanen said, adding that at the same time, "long-term continuous remote work is prone to experiences of boredom and decreased meaningfulness".
Kaltiainen concurred, saying that remote work can also make employees "feel more detached from the meaningfulness of their own work".
Younger workers were more likely to cite feelings of loneliness, with one third of employees under the age of 36 expressing such feelings. At the same time, about a quarter of those in older age groups said they felt lonely.
Funded by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and Finland's Sustainable Growth Programme, the How is Finland doing? study is regularly carried out by polling firm Taloustutkimus, querying employees between the ages of 18-65.