the burnout is currently not recognized as an occupational disease. The mental ailments linked to over-investment or professional exhaustion which characterize the brown-out are often silenced by the employees who do not dare to speak about it, doubtless for fear of the consequences. For burnout to be recognised, the disease must be of a severity justifying a permanent disability equal to or greater than 25% and a “direct and essential” link with the professional activity must be demonstrated. According to these criteria, only about ten cases are brought to light each year, well below the reality on the ground.
It is to quantify this phenomenon that Technologia has carried out a clinical study* on the subject. Result: more than 3 million people are at high risk of burnout.
Farmers most at risk of burnout
Excessive (“I work too much”) and compulsive (“I can’t not work”) work, which indicates behavior at risk of burnout, is the prerogative of all socio-professional categories. Farmers, tradesmen and executives appear to be the most exposed to the risk of burnout. 24% of farmers and operators combine both a heavy workload and compulsive work. They are 20% among craftsmen and traders and 19% among executives, according to the study.
Stronger emotional exhaustion among executives
But executives are nevertheless the most fragile: emotional exhaustion is stronger among executives: the highest rate of fatigue both in the morning and in the evening shows this weakening. They are also more likely to say they are emotionally drained by their work (women more than men).
On the strength of this data, Technologia is launching a call for signatures for the recognition of three new tables of occupational illnesses linked to exhaustion: “depression due to exhaustion, the state of repeated stress leading to a traumatic situation and the generalized anxiety.
This appeal can be signed on the site call-burnout.fr .
*Study conducted online from July 30 to August 20, 2013 with a sample of 1,000 individuals representative of the French working population
