Do workplace technologies present a risk of burnout? Interviews with employees about their technology usage.

Workplace digital technologies are often hailed for their impact regarding efficiency and connectedness. However, it is also important to consider risks associated with their use so that we can design better ways of integrating technology into the workplace.

The integration of workplace technologies has historically been encouraged, especially in the years following the COVID pandemic as they permit working from home and provide instant communication with other employees. However, reviews from EU-OSHA in 2024 have found that the use of workplace technologies can vastly increase the risk of burnout. The Centre for People-Led Digitalisation (P-LD) interviewed 14 employees that had experienced burnout to understand what role the technology they used at work had in the onset of their burnout. Three themes were found that linked technology and their experiences of burnout.

Communication Issues – It was noted that communication technologies such as email, online meetings, and instant messaging were the most frequently cited technologies attributed with burnout. When asked why, interviewees reported that communication technologies all required different styles of communication, which required additional cognitive effort to communicate effectively. For example, emails featured far fewer social cues, which presented more opportunities for misinterpretation. This misinterpretation risk meant more cognitive resources were dedicated to deciphering the intention and tone of emails, with more follow-up questions often being required. Interviewees said that the issues associated with communication technologies were both likely to trigger burnout, and were harder to deal with when already burnt out.

Overwhelming Training – A number of technologies were deemed ‘overwhelming’, especially if the technology was newly implemented in their job, or if there were too many technologies to learn at the same time. This idea of ‘too much newness’ was attributed to an increased risk of burnout, and once interviewees had become burnt out, continuing to use these new technologies became too difficult and they were often avoided. Interviewees also claimed similar issues with technologies that they found overly complex, or if they were incompatible with their thinking styles.

Overstimulation – Interviewees had described being overstimulated by technologies in two different ways. Sensory overstimulation was caused by constant ‘pinging’ of notifications, which would often happen without notice. Mental overstimulation was caused when technologies behaved unpredictably, such as IT issues or generating incorrect information, which disrupted workflow. This overstimulation often made the other mentioned issues more stressful for the interviewees, which increased their risk of causing burnout.

Recommendations

It is important to remember that people’s opinions of technology usage are not universal, and different solutions will work for different people. It is also important to remember that technologies also provide many benefits, often providing supports to employees. If an employee is assessed as being at risk of burnout, it is important to discuss with them to tailor their technology usage. Some recommendations involve providing clarification during emails, providing clearer instructions in training materials for new software, and substituting online communication for in-person communication when it is sensible to do so.

Author’s profile

George Bentley is a PhD student in the University of Bath Department of Psychology, aligned to the Made Smarter Innovation: Centre for People-Led Digitalisation.

If you would like further information on this research please email: p-ld@bath.ac.uk