It used to be that everyone wanted a career in tech. Not anymore. For Gen Z, traditional jobs in teaching and health care are hot. But beware of romanticizing the subsidized meals, steady income, and generous annual vacation time. In reality, the industries are a hotbed for burnout.
New research from Vision Direct has revealed that over a third of Brits have cried at work at least once in the past year, with 55% of them citing stress as the trigger.
Some jobs are more tear-inducing than others: Teachers are most likely to break down at work because they’re burned out, followed by health care professionals.
In the survey of 2,000 employees, 27% held burnout responsible for bursting into tears, while 15% said the work itself was enough to make them cry.
Women were three times more likely to tear up due to burnout than men.
Meanwhile, Gen Z was found to be the age group most likely to get weepy in the workplace, with 34% of respondents admitting they’d done so—a stark contrast to the 7% of boomers who did.
Top careers in which people cry because of burnout
1. Education
2. Health care and social assistance
3. Finance and insurance
4. Government and public services
5. Hotel and food services
While Gen Zers aspiring for a job in finance may anticipate occasionally crying on the job—after all, it’s famous for its always-on, dog-eat-dog culture—those looking for work-life balance in teaching may be unpleasantly surprised.
Although Vision Direct’s research didn’t highlight why teachers are so burned out, experts tell Fortune that lack of work-life balance, high workload, and lack of recognition are often to blame.
“Burnout is often the result of extreme stress, mostly at work but also caused by an imbalance in lifestyles more generally,” says Dr. Paras Patel, chief scientific officer at well-being and productivity app the Zensory.
If you feel emotionally exhausted, disconnected from yourself, and unmotivated, you may already be burned out, Patel says.
"Emerging research has shown key factors that impact burnout include compassion—self-compassion and compassion from others—mental well-being, relational well-being, worry, pleasure, and motivation."
Is your career over if you cry at work?
Although employers often tout their inclusive practices and provision of mental health services, it's understandable to worry about your career in the aftermath of breaking down in tears in front of your boss and peers.
Even the experts Fortune talked to were conflicted on the impact that crying at work can have on progression.
"The key is how the situation is handled," Dannielle Haig, a qualified business psychologist at DH Consulting, explains.
Has this been a one-off, or have you cried regularly at work? Haig adds that proving that you have handled stress in a healthy way is more important for success than an occasional emotional outburst.
"Employers should be mindful not to judge employees harshly for these moments, as they are part of the human experience and can often be a sign of deep commitment and care for their work," she adds.
"By fostering an environment that prioritizes mental health and well-being, organizations can not only prevent burnout but also enhance overall productivity and job satisfaction."
How employers can spot a burned-out worker
More often than not, a crying worker says more about the workplace than the individual.
Jasmine Eskenzi, CEO of the Zensory, says the onus is on managers to look out for indicators of burnout among team members and act fast—or settle with having a toxic culture and high churn rate.
She says that burnout in employees could look like:
- an individual not actively engaging in socializing in the workplace
- their output, motivation, and enthusiasm could decrease
- delays in completing important tasks
- lack of interest in improving skills
- working on other projects during work time
- feeling lost or disconnected in meetings
“All of this would not only decrease the company's productivity but would also have a negative impact on the individuals' work satisfaction, and if left to continue could result in high staff turnover and low retention rates,” Eskenzi warns. “This is why, as employers and organizations, it is paramount to look out for these early signs in your teams.”
