The State of (Over)working 2025

Resource Guru’s research reveals the extent of the UK’s overworking and burnout issues. We surveyed 2,000 UK desk workers who operate remotely, from an office, or a mix of both. Exposing all aspects of their working lives, we found that overworking is costing both individuals and businesses in the long run. We also collaborated with top industry experts to dig into the data, and share proactive solutions to protect employee wellbeing and business revenue.

“The issue of overworking and burnout is nothing new, and helping companies to overcome it is something we continue to feel passionately about at Resource Guru.

That is why we commissioned this survey. It’s given us the opportunity to explore beyond the current research out there, and bring together data and subject matter experts to unpack what’s really going on.

Read on to see how we’ve examined the root causes, uncovered the human and business impact, and most importantly, revealed what we can do to safeguard an organization’s people and bottom line.”

Resource Guru’s Co-Founder Percy Stilwell

Explore our online report to dive into the key datapoints, expert commentary, and the solutions.

On this page:

Meet our panel of experts

We’ve enlisted industry experts to to better understand the data and the UK’s overworking challenges. Here’s who’s on the roster: 

  • Leanne Spencer, wellbeing speaker and burnout prevention expert
  • Dr Matthew Chan, medical expert and adviser. Matthew also has an MBA, and works as chief of staff/head of operations for a start-up
  • Dr Amani Zarroug, clinical psychologist & relationship therapist
  • Aron Snowsill from Rework Nutrition. BSc Nut Dip, nutritional therapist
  • Matt Anstey from Azzurro Physiotherapy. BSc (Hons) MCSP HCPC, chartered physiotherapist and fitness pro
  • Meredith Lawlor, people Ops and talent at Resource Guru. Meredith is also a mental health first-aider
  • Percy Stilwell, co-founder of Resource Guru

Let’s start with what’s happening

 

Desk workers are overworking 

More than four in five (84%) of desk workers work overtime, and over two thirds (68%) have to work weekends in some capacity.

But extra hours don’t always mean extra compensation

Despite the grind, extra hours aren’t necessarily reflected in employee pay.

36%
get paid overtime (of those desk workers who work weekends)
26%
of desk workers say their salary is not competitive compared with industry standards

What are the consequences for employees?

It goes without saying: overworking is bad news. But, let’s dig a little deeper.

A large proportion of our survey respondents reported stress and burnout, as well as other serious consequences like anxiety and depression. Our experts have helped us connect the dots between overworking and these consequences.

Stress and burnout

54%
of desk workers have experienced stress in their current job
28%
of desk workers have experienced burnout in their current job

According to Leanne, there are two main reasons why overworking leads to workplace burnout:

  1. An individual could be overworking, leading to chronic stress and, ultimately, burnout
  2. They suffer from a lack of recovery. Without proper recovery, the body struggles to reset stress levels, leading to ongoing fatigue, impaired thinking, and emotional exhaustion.  Over time, this can create a cycle where people feel they can’t keep up or perform well, increasing stress and ultimately leading to burnout

“Think of a workplace athlete. They are someone who approaches their work the way an elite athlete approaches sport—with a deep understanding that recovery is just as important as effort.

Whether it’s physical effort or mental horsepower, if someone is working weekends or doing overtime, certainly on a regular basis, the body will need more time to recover. The question is, is there enough recovery time available if someone is working long hours?” – Leanne Spencer

Burnout risk factors 

We also worked with Leanne to dig into the specific risk factors associated with stress and recovery that can lead to burnout. 

Our Burnout Risk Index outlines these. It’s an interactive tool where you can check who’s most at risk of burnout by location in the UK, gender, age, and working arrangement. It can give you a personal indicator into how at risk you might be too, based on these rankings.

Who’s Most at Risk of Burnout?

Find out using our Burnout Risk Index tool

Check Burnout Risk

Negative implications of burnout 

Once someone’s burned out, it can lead to them neglecting their desired habits, routines, and overall wellbeing.

Real-life experience 🌎

“I was hitting 100 hour weeks and completely consumed by work, my brain just shut down. I let myself go (even not caring about my appearance, or the cleanliness of my house). I became a shell of myself! It took a person to tell me how bad I had gotten before I could see it. I then quit and slept for a week!”

– KM, Anonymous

Those who said they were burned out reported the following consequences.

Real-life experience 🌎

“I used to work for a start-up with a horrific work/life balance. I got caught in a work cycle where the company would offer free Deliveroo dinners to encourage their staff to stay late, so I’d often work until 11pm. I’d feel guilty leaving on time, especially since the CEO saw working late as a sign of good performance. 

As a result, I missed social plans, ate poorly, and felt like my only friends were colleagues. The constant stress took a toll, both mentally and physically. It took stepping outside that bubble to realise this isn’t normal or sustainable. Talking to friends outside work helped me see that your work life doesn’t have to be like that.”

– AH, Associate Director of Talent & Culture, Genomics

How burnout and exercise affect each other, according to Matt Anstey 👇 

Burnout often leads to feelings of fatigue, apathy, and reduced energy—which can all act as significant barriers to exercising. When someone is burned out, even the thought of physical activity can be overwhelming. 

But, reduced physical activity exacerbates burnout symptoms, so it can become a negative loop. 

Regular physical exercise can both prevent and combat burnout. Strength training, yoga, and mindfulness-based practices can be particularly beneficial as they focus on body awareness and stress reduction. 

For desk workers, small, manageable changes like introducing walking meetings, standing desks, or scheduled stretch breaks throughout the day can be game-changing.

“As a physiotherapist, I’m forever trying to encourage a culture of movement within the workplace in general—especially for those who sit at a desk for most of the day. This can have substantial benefits.” – Matt Anstey

Headshot of physiotherapist Matt Anstey from Azzurro Physiotherapy

Why burnout and alcohol don’t mix, according to Aron Snowsill 👇

Desk workers may be turning to alcohol when they’re burned out for a couple of reasons:

  • Nutritionally, the body craves sugar in all its forms
  • Psychologically, alcohol can also provide respite from stress. If someone is drunk or hungover, it’s almost a self-sabotaging act to avoid what’s causing the burnout

“When the liver is overburdened due to high alcohol consumption, it can lead to brain fog, headaches, and feelings of sluggishness. Therefore, drinking too much in response to stress and burnout is a catalyst for deepening burnout.” – Aron Snowsill

Headshot of nutritionist Aron Snowsill

How burnout is breaking hearts, reveals Dr Amani Zarroug👇

Burnout can harm relationships because it drains your energy and emotional reserves, which means you have little left to give to loved ones at the end of the day. 

When burnout goes on for too long without being addressed, the relationship can reach a tipping point. If both partners feel disconnected, misunderstood, or unsupported, they may drift apart or decide to separate.

“This survey paints a concerning picture: burnout isn’t just a workplace issue. It’s deeply affecting people’s personal lives and relationships.” – Dr Amani Zarroug

Headshot of Dr Amani Zarroug

Mental health

On top of stress and burnout, the survey reveals that there are knock-on effects for mental health too.

Meredith explains why this may occur: “Burnout can happen when high demands outpace the resources available to cope. If left unchecked, it can lead to more serious mental health issues like anxiety and depression. That’s why early intervention is crucial—it starts with understanding the root cause. Without identifying what’s really driving the stress, it’s hard to create meaningful, lasting change.”

36%
of desk workers have experienced anxiety
16%
of desk workers have experienced depression

“These numbers are tragic but not surprising. We know that consistent stress and pressure are contributing factors to burnout and mental health issues like anxiety and depression.” – Dr Matthew Chan

Psychological symptoms 

These mental health challenges have led to more worrying psychological and physical symptoms.

According to Dr Matthew, “stress puts the brain into survival mode, which changes how you think and feel and leads to these psychological symptoms.”

Additional concerning symptoms:

  • Feeling emotionally numb (19%)
  • Fear (17%)
  • Suicidal thoughts (7%)

Physical symptoms

Although most people associate burnout with psychological symptoms, there are physical ones too.

Real-life experience 🌎

“In the past I’ve experienced a variety of anxiety-driven physical ailments. Sleep issues, eczema, swollen throat, dehydration, eye lid spasms, nausea.”

– MK, Lawyer, Anonymous

Dr Matthew tells us that “it’s important to remember that the mind and body are closely intertwined, and these physical issues can definitely signal that something is not right.

For many people, they haven’t realised the level of burnout or mental burden from work until after these physical symptoms show up and they put two and two together.

In terms of longer-term health impact, consistent stress can develop into more serious health conditions like heart conditions and a weaker immune system. And in general, it can take longer for the body to recover from many illnesses.”

Additional concerning symptoms:

  • Increased heart rate/blood pressure (18%)
  • Heart palpitations (16%)
  • Chest pain (11%)

Hot take:
“This data is evidence that it’s not just in “people’s heads”. Sometimes, employers don’t take staff stress seriously until it’s already physically manifested. But by this point, the situation has already become pretty serious.”  – Dr Matthew Chan

Desk workers are seeking medical intervention

As more employees experience the symptoms and consequences of burnout, they’re naturally relying on health services to help them.

29%
of burned out desk workers have been prescribed medication
28%
of burned out desk workers have seen a therapist
23%
of burned out desk workers have gone to the doctors
14%
of burned out desk workers have gone to hospital

“There often is no quick fix to these problems, no Ctrl-Z to undo the damage immediately. But, the numbers are clear—if workers are requiring medical interventions at this scale, burnout isn’t just a buzzword, and we need to be tackling it proactively, starting from the workplace.”

– Dr Matthew Chan

He adds: “For me, these statistics highlight two societal strains.

Firstly, we can see immense pressure on healthcare systems to keep up with the demand. I think it’s easy to write off the issue of burnout as just a transient ‘hot topic’, when in fact we are in the midst of a public health crisis.

And secondly, there will be a huge cost to businesses, from lost productivity and time off to go to these medical appointments, through to increased staff turnover.”

We’ll cover more about this next. 

What are the consequences for businesses? 

It’s easy to think of overworking and burnout as just an individual problem, but it runs much deeper than that. People power is the backbone of good businesses.

Hot take:
“I strongly believe burnout should be one of the CEO and CPO’s top strategic priorities.”  – Leanne Spencer

Leanne shares that these issues have a clear cost for businesses, as they impact: 

1. Staff absenteeism and turnover

“Burnout causes workers to need time off because they’ve been pushed past their limits. Precious resources such as energy, mood, and motivation are finite and need to be replenished. If they’re constantly depleted, it can lead to cumulative wear and tear on the body and brain.

This is called allostatic load. When we are constantly exposed to pressure such as tight deadlines, long hours, and lack of recovery, our stress response stays switched on. High allostatic load erodes resilience, impairs decision making, and leaves people physically and emotionally depleted.”

Being too stressed and having too much work may even lead to employees handing in their notice.

Overall, overworking becomes a time paradox. Putting in excessive hours worked upfront is not sustainable, and can just lead to a loss of hours worked down the line.

52%
of desk workers who have experienced burnout have had to take time off work as a result
44%
of desk workers say stress is a top reason they would quit their job
36%
of desk workers would quit if their workload was too high

“There’s a clear loss of potential productivity and revenue if employees are off work sick, or signed off with stress.

Retention rates decreasing also has a very clear cost to the business.”

– Leanne Spencer

2. Quality of work and innovation

According to Leanne, “burnout undermines innovation, decision making, and morale, especially in high-pressure environments,” and the stats back this up:

36%
of burned out desk workers say they made a mistake at work
35%
of burned out desk workers say they delivered lower quality work

Real-life experience 🌎

“You’re more likely to make mistakes when you’re tired or if you’re being rushed. How can you really think clearly? How are you doing your best work under those circumstances?” 

– MS, SEO & Content Consultant, Freelance

3. Productivity, performance, and presenteeism 

Just because you’re at work, doesn’t mean you’re doing your best work. Leanne explains that “presenteeism is insidious; someone might appear to be productive and dedicated, but their productivity levels are diminishing.”

Again, this is reflected in the data. Of those reporting work-induced:

30%
of desk workers with stress/anxiety/depression had brain fog/difficulty concentrating
29%
of desk workers with stress/anxiety/depression reported procrastination/distraction

4. Staff morale and quiet quitting

“Quiet quitting is where employees do the bare minimum required. They stop going above and beyond because they feel disengaged, undervalued, or burned out. For many, quiet quitting  is a way of setting boundaries or reclaiming work-life balance.” A lack of motivation or interest is a tell-tale sign of quiet quitting.

38%
of desk workers reporting work-induced stress/anxiety/depression said they felt a lack of motivation/interest

5. Business reputation

As the topic of overworking and burnout gets more airtime, mindsets are changing. Employees still care about salaries and financial security, but they’re looking for more than just a paycheck. They want to feel supported, valued, and are more likely to seek work-life balance. So, any business ignoring these areas is going to appear less appealing and competitive.

Leanne explains that “businesses are judged by how they treat their people. The health of your people is the health of your business. In a climate where talent is becoming increasingly selective and values-driven, ignoring burnout risks both reputation and results.”

30%
of desk workers admitted they would quit if they didn’t feel supported by their boss/management

“It’s clear that overworking is not just a personal problem for employees—it’s a huge business risk. Just as businesses look out for and address all kinds of operational and competitive risks, they also need to be proactive about managing their human resources carefully.

Ultimately, businesses are nothing without their people, and it’s only a matter of  time before the effects of overwork and occupational burnout show up negatively in business metrics and outcomes.

So, it’s not that getting ahead on these issues is just ethically the “right thing” to do for your team—it’s essential to position a business for long-term success.”

– Dr Matthew Chan

Section recap:

3 themes contributing to overworking and burnout  

Now we understand the impact on both employees and businesses, we wanted to peel back some of the specific risk factors to identify the key root causes. Below, we’ve summarised three overarching themes contributing to overworking and burnout, as guided by the survey data and our experts.

1. Deeply rooted workplace culture has shifted individual boundaries 🙅

It’s not that people are unaware of the culture of overworking in the UK, it’s that they’ve accepted it. The harmful notion of “getting the job done at any cost” has wormed its way into the public psyche, at the cost of workers’ wellbeing.

26%
of desk workers feel uncomfortable saying 'no' to additional work (even if they're at capacity)
25%
of desk workers have experienced guilt for leaving work on time

“We live in a culture that still venerates hard work and overworking as a badge of honour.” 

– Leanne Spencer

Meredith adds: “Being able to say ‘no’ may either be tied back to a lack of unclear goals and alignment. Or, a culture and belief that overwork is a sign of commitment. This can be damaging to both employees and businesses.

For employees, it creates a cycle where they feel like the only way to succeed is to accept more work, even if it’s at the cost of their well-being. It means sacrificing any sort of home and work balance, feeling stressed, and eventually burning out.”

Real-life experience 🌎

“When I worked at agencies, there was a real culture around fear of pushing back and saying you don’t have time to do something, because you think it will make you look incompetent, lazy, or you’re avoiding work. That’s a deep cultural problem.” 

– DD, PR & Partnerships Manager, Fender

2. A lack of proper resource management is impacting allocation and workloads ⚖️

Being allocated (A.K.A assigned) too much work leads employees to work longer hours, and eventually burnout.

53%
of desk workers with burnout said it’s caused by their workload being too high
44%
of desk workers don’t use any resource management software to support proper allocation and to schedule work effectively 

To add insult to injury, a large proportion of desk workers surveyed don’t have any mechanisms in place to even try to balance workloads.

44%
of desk workers don’t use any resource management software to support proper allocation and to schedule work effectively

“I really empathize with these statistics because I’ve seen first-hand how unmanageable workloads and being assigned too much work can lead to burnout issues. In my experience, overworked employees are nearly always a symptom of poor scheduling.

We’ve also heard stories from many Resource Guru customers about what their workloads were like before using our software, and how better resource management is now saving their teams from being overworked, as well as creating efficiencies that allow them to hire more people.” 

– Percy Stilwell

Hot take:
“Let’s be real – free food and perks aren’t going to fix these problems, although they might put a temporary band-aid on them. Rather, businesses need to review how they structure workloads and resource work, to get the most out of their employees in a sustainable rhythm” – Dr Matthew Chan

3. Unrealistic deadlines and lack of tracking hours worked is leading to desperate measures ⏱ 

Guestimated schedules are making expected delivery times a nightmare.

33%
of desk workers with burnout blamed unrealistic deadlines

And, employees are being forced to make undignified sacrifices to get their tasks over the line.

1 in 10
desk workers revealed they’ve slept in office to meet a deadline

But, knowing the actual time spent on work is tricky if you don’t have accurate ways to track it. That’s because you need data from the hours spent on past projects, to help teams predict how long future projects will take (and by default, create manageable deadlines).

46% 
of desk workers don’t use any timesheets software

Deadlines specifically are causing unhealthy habits and lifestyle choices

A closer look into tough deadlines and skipping meals from Aron Snowsill 👇

Sometimes a vicious cycle can occur:

  • Skipping meals to meet deadlines means you’re not feeding your body with the nutrients it needs to cope with added stress
  • Unhealthy eating and lack of nutrients fast-tracks burnout
  • Being burned out leads to low motivation, low energy, low moods, and low productivity, and therefore you’re less likely to plan, shop, and cook healthy meals
  • Without the right nutrients, your body lacks the fuel it needs to recover from burnout, and this in turn can make deadlines seem more daunting
  • A lack of recovery means you remain burned out, so you keep eating unhealthily

A closer look into tough deadlines and exercise from Matthew Anstey 👇

If someone develops a pattern of skipping exercise to meet a deadline, it can definitely accumulate and lead to stress.

Exercise is a proven stress reliever as it enhances the production of endorphins, (nature’s ‘happy hormones’). Replacing workouts with work removes this critical coping mechanism, making it harder to decompress and manage pressures.

If you’re working long hours or have limited time due to deadlines, “quality” (such as shorter, high-intensity workouts) over “quantity” can be a practical approach to maintain exercise without overwhelming your schedule.

A closer look into into tough deadlines and skipping sleep from Leanne Spencer 👇

Sleep is a force multiplier for boosting energy, mood and motivation, and we need good quality sleep to thrive. 

A lack of sleep can affect our ability to concentrate, retain information and apply critical thinking skills. Over time it will erode performance and have detrimental effects on the brain and body.

Prioritising good sleep is a great example of ‘deliberate rest’, a term coined by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang. The restorative effects of a solid night of sleep are a fantastic way to boost recovery. So, skipping sleep to meet deadlines is going to have an impact on your work performance in general.

Real-life experience 🌎

“One of the biggest issues for me is insomnia. I can’t sleep if I’m stressed about deadlines. So I end up just sleeping for 4 or 5 hours.  A few years ago I even worked all night in the office once, only to go back home at 7am to shower and then go back to the office to work…so I got absolutely no sleep that night.” 

– CG, Director, Deloitte

A closer look into tough deadlines and stimulants from Aron Snowsill 👇

What goes up must come down!  Although you get momentary energy from caffeine, you will also experience the drop-off when the caffeine wears off. This makes focusing on your work challenging.

You will compensate by consuming more caffeine from coffee or energy drinks. This can in fact worsen your productivity,  negatively impact your concentration levels, and make it harder to hit deadlines.

Using stimulants can also lead to feelings of anxiety and jitteriness (think wired but tired). You’re quite literally drinking stress in a can.

The impact of unrealistic deadlines on our social lives

According to these figures, work-life balance is diminishing due to deadlines. 

37%
of desk workers missed/cancelled personal plans to meet a deadline
26%
of desk workers worked on an annual leave day to meet a deadline
18%
of desk workers worked during a social event/social setting to meet a deadline

Dr Amani explains that this is because “overwork can make someone feel like their job is their whole life, leaving little room for their role as partner, parent, or friend.” Naturally, social events and personal plans will start to become deprioritized. 

Real-life experience 🌎

“In a past role, I was asked to be Creative Lead on one of the biggest projects of the year, which was a great opportunity for me. However, my boss told me that if I took my annual leave to go on a family holiday, I wouldn’t be assigned the project. This created a real dilemma for me and I definitely experienced guilt around taking time off and spending time with my family.”

– EC, Senior Creative Designer, Gousto

How are businesses tackling overworking today?

We know that overworking impacts mental health, but a quarter (25%) of respondents said their company doesn’t do anything to support mental health. But, some desk workers reported that their company has put reactive measures in place, such as: 

  • Access or budget to therapy/counselling (24%)
  • Paid leave for mental health days (17%)
  • Mental health subscription (e.g. to Calm/Headspace) (16%)

But, is reactivity enough?

Businesses need to introduce proactive and preventative solutions

“Reactive measures have a place, but it can be rather like locking the door after the horse has bolted.” 

– Leanne Spencer

Leanne adds: “Companies that care about their team will address systemic issues and have preventative strategies in place which focus on the sustainability of people. This relates to employees having the energy to remain productive and efficient over time, without burning out.

As more businesses focus on ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) and broader sustainability goals, we should include a P in ESG, the P representing people. This will showcase how much a business and its leadership team are concerned about the sustainability of its people.”

We worked with our experts to identify proactive, preventative measures to tackle each of the three key overworking themes, and to help stop burnout happening in the first place.

Theme 1: The UK’s unhealthy working culture is disregarding people’s boundaries 🙅

4 solutions from our experts:

1. Start with wellbeing policies
Meredith says: “When creating wellbeing policies, it’s important they reflect the reality of your business and the people in it. That means consulting everyone on your team, including young workers and those from minority or marginalised groups, to ensure your approach supports both your current team and future hires. Also, make sure policies evolve based on feedback to stay relevant, inclusive, and effective.”

“We need sustainable people to drive sustainable businesses and solve meaningful problems.

We need to address all the factors of burnout, and put the focus on wellbeing as an integral part of any high performing culture.”

– Leanne Spencer

2. Implement change from the top down
Meredith’s advice is to “train managers to recognize burnout early, and make sure they know how to support staff when they’re struggling. Managers should be well-versed in policies, capable of setting boundaries, and fostering a culture of openness.” She adds that “it’s important to note that this can’t sit with managers alone. You need the right systems, processes, and leadership buy-in to make support consistent and scalable.”

Pro tip:
“Leaders should make it clear they do not expect people to push past their boundaries or limits except if it’s business-critical or on the rare occasion.

Managers should role model desired behaviours and have the emotional intelligence (or good training) to understand the personality of each team member. Those with people-pleasing traits or younger members of the team might struggle to impose boundaries. A good leader will know this and step in.” – Leanne Spencer

3. Focus on outcomes, not outputs
Meredith stresses that “businesses need to be clear about expectations and reinforce that reaching success is about business outcomes, not the hours worked. And, recognition shouldn’t just be about hours worked. Reward good performance and results, and recognize employees who prioritize their wellbeing. When people feel they can set healthy boundaries without losing out, it creates a culture where people are both productive and happier.”

Real-life experience 🌎

“I think a lot comes back to the culture in the business. I make a real point of not rewarding late workers in my current role and actually challenge those that do stay late, as project managers should be good keepers of time and not be hanging around.”

– RW, Head of Global Marketing Operations, Anonymous

4. Create an environment of psychological safety
According to Meredith, it’s important for managers to “create a culture of transparency, where employees feel comfortable sharing concerns about their workload without fear of judgment. Regular check-ins and short feedback loops are going to help with this. Have conversations to check-in. They’ll help catch signs of burnout early, so we can provide the support people need before things escalate into a danger zone.”

Pro tip:
“Taking the time to foster a culture of psychological safety, flexibility, and support across seniority levels is also key, to enable employees to do their best work and build a thriving business.” – Dr Matthew Chan

Putting in these preventative measures and shifting company culture will naturally influence individual mindsets, where employees feel like they can put in boundaries without feeling at risk of not being recognized or rewarded.

Theme 2: A lack of proper resource management is making allocation and workloads unfeasible ⚖️

Advice from our experts:

Leanne suggests implementing the Cadence Approach™ to resource management. This methodology shifts the focus from constant output to smart, sustainable performance. 

  1. Predict: Anticipate peak periods, enable better planning of workload and resources. This helps leaders prepare in advance, avoid last minute scrambles, and avoid burnout
  2. Prepare: Encourage proactive scheduling, allowing teams to build capacity and resilience before high-demand phases. This improves time management and reduces reactive firefighting
  3. Perform: Align energy with delivery. Ensure the right people are in the right place, with the right energy. It supports efficient use of talent and time during critical periods
  4. Recover: Build in downtime post-delivery. This supports sustainable performance and avoids constant overuse of resources, which can lead to disengagement and high turnover

“Make sure workloads are reasonable and achievable, and assess them regularly to avoid stress and burnout. No business can afford to ignore this. It’s a false economy to push people too hard if it means they leave or go off sick.” – Meredith Lawlor

Percy tells us that “the right resource management tools can help businesses implement this type of framework by:

  • Identifying busy periods ahead of time and identifying people needed
  • Scheduling people proactively and providing team-wide visibility
  • Planning workloads and avoiding over-allocation
  • Matching work requirements with the right talent and skillset
  • Giving visibility of people’s time off

It’s so important to have the ability to plan ahead, and not just react to issues as they surface.”

Theme 3: Unrealistic deadlines and lack of time tracking is leading to desperate measures ⏱

With our expert input, we’ve broken the solution into 3 steps:

Step 1: Gather project data
It’s impossible to set sensible deadlines without accurate information to guide timelines. Using real data from past projects lets teams accurately forecast, meaning employees won’t get burned out trying to meet unrealistic deadlines.

“Anticipation is key. Business is more predictable than we think, so realistic planning is required,” says Leanne.

Step 2: Project planning
It’s important to not only plan the project needs, but also make sure the right people are in place to meet those deadlines. “Anticipate what will be required in a project in terms of resources,” says Leanne. 

And, it’s not just about planning upfront, it’s about monitoring the plan as you go. See what’s off-track and update deadlines when needed. That way teams won’t become overworked and stressed, just to keep up with an initial timeline that no longer makes sense.

Step 3: Factor in project breaks
Leanne encourages managers to ask the following questions:

  • Has there been a period of downtime (however small) that allows people to refill their tanks (so to speak), and come in ready to dedicate themselves to this project?
  • Are there breaks—or slivers of recovery—built into the project timelines?

Meredith agrees: “We need to make it okay for employees to take breaks, take time off when they’re sick, or use their annual leave without guilt. Fostering a culture that supports a good balance and encourages regular breaks helps employees manage their wellbeing in a healthier way.”

Percy shares: “It’s thought that a utilization rate of around 70-80% is optimal, allowing a buffer for unexpected work, creative thinking, and much needed breaks.

Project scheduling tools can help execute project planning steps with ease. You’ll also be able to assign the right people to projects, adjust deadlines, and factor in downtime while keeping everyone in the loop.

Time tracking tools can help gather actual data which you can then compare to scheduled time to see where there could be unhealthy patterns developing. You can also use this data to shape future estimates and set more realistic deadlines.”

How can Resource Guru help?

Too often, resource management tools focus on tasks instead of the people completing them. However, in a world where many employees are overworked and burned out, Resource Guru puts people first.

Resource Guru’s software is a fast, flexible solution that acknowledges a happy, healthy team is good for business. We offer specific, unique features that helps you answer these types of questions:

  • How do I eliminate scheduling clashes?
  • How can I keep an eye on which team members are under or over utilised?
  • How can I see how many hours someone was forecasted to work vs. what they actually worked?
  • Can we take on this project, and who is best fit to work on it?

Resource Guru helps businesses streamline resource scheduling, implement time management, and ultimately achieve project success.

“We believe time is the single most valuable commodity in life, and is one of the reasons we built Resource Guru back in 2011.

We know people do their best work when they’re not rushed. And that over-allocation should be the exception, not the rule. Life is best when there’s a good balance between work and everything else.”

– Percy Stilwell

9 Resource Guru features that help combat overworking and burnout

Resource Guru's booking clash feature

1. Resource management schedule: Avoid an ad-hoc approach to scheduling resources, allocating them to projects, and seeing who is working at capacity. This prevents overworking for in-demand employees.

“Work is stressful, and in this day and age keeping track of things becomes tedious. But with Resource Guru, I am able to view my schedule whenever I want and keep my life on track and make plans ahead.”

Source: G2

2. Timesheets and time tracking reports: This data reflects actual hours worked, so you can see where team members are really spending their time, compared with what was forecasted. This improves workloads for anyone working excessively, and helps avoid burnout.

3. Clash management: Clash notifications signal when allocating work to someone who is already booked, or unavailable. This prevents conflicts and stops overloading employees.

“Resource Guru helps prevent scheduling conflicts and keeps track of team availability in real time. It makes project planning smoother and ensures balanced workloads, saving time and reducing stress.”

Source: G2

4. Waiting list: Bookings that don’t fit in someone’s availability can be added to a waiting list, ensuring team members at capacity don’t become overburdened.

5. Approval workflow: Provides extra control over who can approve bookings for employees. This protects the time of in-demand teammates and ensures that work is allocated fairly.

6. Utilization rate tracking: Monitor team utilization, compare forecasts and actual time spent, use data to spot when employees have too much on their list. 

“It’s amazing! It is critical to our weekly resource planning. It’s helped us ensure that critical project demands are being met and that individual staff are not overloaded.”

Source: Capterra

7. Leave management: Create, manage, and get visibility for time-off in advance. Plan for absences ahead of time, so that other team members aren’t given additional work last minute, and then burn out.

8. Default availability: Set particular working hours for each employee to stop bookings being made outside of available hours, so that employees don’t have to work during unrealistic times.

“Time saving, stress saving and it helps everyone. Top product that I’m glad is part of the business’ routine.”

Source: Capterra

9. Availability bar and heatmap views: Easily scan for availability at a glance. Team members with utilization or availability issues will be flagged so that managers can prevent overworking issues.

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“The results of this survey are concerning, but it doesn’t have to be this way. 

The features listed above were designed to reduce excessive workloads, boost morale, increase productivity, and help improve employee absenteeism and churn.

After all, happy teams are good for business.”

– Percy Stilwell

Press section 

Methodology & notes:

This online survey of 2,000 UK desk workers was commissioned by Resource Guru and conducted by market research company OnePoll, in accordance with the Market Research Society’s code of conduct. Data was collected between [07/02/2025] and [19/02/2025]. All participants are double-opted in to take part in research and are paid an amount depending on the length and complexity of the survey. This survey was overseen and edited by the OnePoll research team. OnePoll are MRS Company Partners, corporate membership of ESOMAR and Members of the British Polling Council.

Respondents were screened to confirm they worked primarily at a desk in an office or home setting. 

The sample included a mix of respondents across age groups, genders, industries/job roles, and UK regions.

Expert commentary was gathered after the survey was completed, based on a summary of the key findings.

Media pack:

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