Burnout is not going away. It remains a complex, enduring issue for individuals and for our workforce.
 

What has changed?

• Improved understanding:  The conversation has shifted from how we can ‘fix the individual’ to how we can fix the ‘workplace and workforce design.’ This is a helpful shift. Leaders now ask: How can we create a work environment that avoids burnout?

• Recognition skills:  Awareness of burnout signs in ourselves and our colleagues is growing. In our coaching and professional development programs doctors are talking about signs of burnout, and recognise that they need to act, even though it’s hard and confronting. This heightened awareness supports self-care while systemic workforce issues are addressed.
   

What hasn't changed?

• Still difficult to talk about: Burnout remains hard to discuss openly. While individuals can observe and perceive it in themselves and others in the contained and confidential spaces of coaching and professional development programs it’s difficult to bring up in the workplace with peers or supervisors.

In the absence of systemic change, practical actions leaders can take to address burnout today include:

• Prioritise leave: Regular leave is crucial for recharging. Schedule leave for yourself and your team and encourage sick leave when needed.
   
• Support mentorship: Encourage team members to engage in or seek mentors. Mentorship is valuable for navigating career pressures.
   
• Celebrate small wins: Recognise and celebrate individual and team achievements to boost morale.
   
• Promote hydration and nutrition: Keep water and snacks within reach, take breaks, and check in on colleagues' well-being.
   
• Discuss life outside work: Emphasise the importance of life outside work and getting rest to sustain yourself and others.
   
• Reflect and adjust: Regularly assess and adjust workloads and practices to prevent burnout buildup.
   
• Boundary management: Set and respect work boundaries. When off-duty and not on-call, log off, silence work-related messages, and encourage others to communicate their boundaries as well.
   
• Avoid overcommitting: During demanding on-call weeks, resist adding non-essential commitments to avoid additional stress.
   
• Encourage peer support: Foster an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing challenges. Peer support helps buffer burnout.
   

Is this really leadership work?

Yes! This work is vital leadership work and essential for sustaining a healthy high performing workforce. If people burnout, they are unable to work effectively, and mistakes can be made.  They are also at risk of becoming unwell and disenfranchised with the work and may consider leaving the profession for good.

So as leaders please consider including some of these small actions - like prioritising leave, encouraging breaks, and supporting sick leave—in your weekly leadership work. By embracing these measures, leaders ensure a workforce that’s equipped to thrive and deliver quality care year after year.

If your concerned you or your colleagues are at risk of burnout we suggest reading this HBR article on how to measure burnout accurately and ethically and completing this burnout self-test (Masluch Burnout Inventory (MBI)) for medical professionals.
 

Further resources

• Leadership Insight: How to lead burnt out teams
   
• VICDOC: burnout - where are we and what can we do?
   
• The state of workplace burnout study - if you are keen to participate in this study, here is the link to the live survey for the 2025 report.
   
• AMAV leadership coaching
   
• AMAV leader check-in