Workplace Burnout: Recognizing the Signs and Taking the First Steps

Workplace burnout can develop gradually and go unnoticed in a busy small or medium-sized business. A usually reliable employee starts making more mistakes, seems more distant or struggles to keep up. As a manager, your role is not to make a diagnosis. It is to notice changes, start a respectful conversation and address the working conditions within your control.

This guide offers practical advice for taking action without drawing conclusions about someone’s health. The goal is to provide support, preserve their dignity and connect them with appropriate resources while reviewing how work is organized.

At a Glance

To recognize a situation that needs your attention, watch for persistent changes in an employee’s work, interactions and availability without treating them as a diagnosis of burnout. Speak with the person privately, focus on facts, listen to their needs and suggest workplace adjustments. Encourage them to consult a healthcare professional or use the employee assistance program, if one is available.

Which Observable Signs Should You Watch For?

A single behaviour is not enough to conclude that someone is experiencing burnout. What deserves particular attention is a change from how the person usually works, especially when it persists or several signs appear together.

These observations can have many causes: personal difficulties, unclear instructions, excessive workloads, a lack of resources or other issues. Avoid labels such as “unmotivated” or “unable to handle pressure.” Instead, record work-related facts and their context without building a file about the employee’s presumed health status.

• Work quality: unusual mistakes, repeated oversights or difficulty completing tasks they previously handled well.
• Organization: more frequent delays, missed deadlines or new difficulty setting priorities.
• Interactions: withdrawing from discussions, unusual irritability or recurring tensions with colleagues.
• Comments: repeated remarks about an unmanageable workload, a sense of ineffectiveness or a loss of interest in work.
• Availability: regularly skipping breaks, working longer days or consistently sending messages outside normal working hours.

How to Approach an Employee Respectfully

Schedule a confidential meeting in a quiet place where you will not be interrupted. Avoid raising the issue in front of the team or between urgent tasks. Explain that you want to understand what is making work difficult and find solutions, not obtain medical information.

You could say: “I’ve noticed that several projects have fallen behind recently and that you’re often extending your workday. I wanted to check in on how things are going for you and what we might be able to adjust.” This wording describes observations without assuming their cause.

Then give the person room to respond. Do not try to fill every silence or resolve the entire situation immediately. If they do not want to discuss their health or private life, respect that boundary. You can still talk about their workload and needs at work.

• Ask open-ended questions: “What is making your work more difficult right now?”
• Paraphrase what you hear to check your understanding without minimizing what the person is expressing.
• Avoid comparisons: “Everyone is tired” generally shuts down the conversation.
• Explain how information will be handled and share it only with those who need to be involved.

Connecting Employees with a Professional or an Employee Assistance Program

Managers are not responsible for confirming burnout or recommending treatment. If an employee mentions distress or health concerns, encourage them to consult a healthcare professional who can assess their situation.

If your business offers an employee assistance program (EAP), provide the contact information and explain how to access it. Check which services are actually available before describing them, as they vary by program. Do not promise care or confidentiality when you do not know the terms.

If there is no EAP, you can direct the person to Quebec public resources, including Info-Social 811 for psychosocial support. Do not require them to tell you about their consultations. Your follow-up should focus on workplace measures and necessary administrative steps, in line with applicable procedures.

Taking Practical Steps to Improve How Work Is Organized

Connecting someone with support does not replace a review of working conditions. Work with the employee to identify realistic adjustments within your responsibility. Agree on a time to follow up and assess whether the changes are helpful, without turning the meeting into monitoring of their health.

Look at the team’s situation as well. Constant emergencies, poorly defined roles or conflicting demands can affect several people. Avoid simply shifting the entire excess workload to a colleague.

• Clarify priorities and identify tasks that can wait.
• Reassess deadlines, objectives and available resources.
• Limit requests outside working hours and make it easier to take breaks.
• Distribute responsibilities realistically, taking the team’s capacity into account.
• Consult human resources or a qualified resource if a formal accommodation needs to be considered.

Equip Your Managers with L’Agence AW

Recognizing concerning signs and having respectful conversations are skills that can be developed. Training helps clarify managers’ roles, their boundaries and appropriate ways to provide support.

Visit our [workplace mental health training](/services/formation-sante-mentale-travail) page, then contact L’Agence AW to discuss your business’s needs. Together, we can explore training tailored to your workplace to better equip your team leaders.