Understanding workplace burnout across sectors in Canada: Drivers, consequences, and evidence-informed strategies for behaviour change

Workplace burnout has become a persistent and pressing issue in Canadian workplaces, with 39% of Canadian workers reporting burnout and considerable consequences for employers, including lost productivity as well as employee-level effects on health, home life, and social life (Mental Health Research Canada, 2025). A substantial body of burnout literature focuses on specific occupations, such as nurses, physicians, and electricians (Jamal & Baba, 2000; Leiter, Frank, & Matheson, 2009; Nowrouzi-Kia et al., 2023). Collectively, these studies suggest burnout is influenced by an interplay of individual, organizational and systemic factors and provide insights into job-specific profiles.

Despite these important contributions, a significant gap is the limited characterization of how burnout manifests across diverse sectors and the sector-specific factors that contribute to these differences. A cross-sector perspective is needed to inform interventions that are broadly applicable, scalable, and effective beyond a single occupation. This study will leverage a national mental health dataset to examine burnout across multiple sectors of the Canadian workforce. By identifying who is affected by workplace burnout, the key sources of workplace burnout, and the impact of burnout on ability to work, this research will provide actionable insights

This project is co-funded in partnership with Mitacs and iA Financial Group.

  • Maryam Shahzad is a third year PhD candidate at the University of Toronto’s Rehabilitation Sciences Institute and a registered occupational therapist. Her research focuses on persistent concussion and return to work, using a mixed-methods design to examine the interaction between individual, organizational, and systemic factors influencing work participation. Clinically, she has worked in neurology and occupational rehabilitation supporting individuals with traumatic brain injury to return to their daily activities. Maryam looks forward to working with MHRC on a project examining burnout across sectors in Canada and continuing to integrate clinical practice, and rehabilitation research to improve workplace well-being and participation.