Survey: Freelancers Can Alleviate Employee Burnout Crisis

Popular freelance platform Fiverr surveyed 1,000 US employees, freelancers, and 501 US business leaders on worker well-being. Here are the most critical findings of the nationwide survey.

Employee burnout reached new heights in 2023, with 54% of surveyed workers stating their job has caused them to experience burnout and mental health issues throughout the year. The most affected industries in 2023 were Finance (58%) and IT (55%).

While intense workloads (47%) were the leading cause of burnout among employees, pressure from managers (41%) and toxic company culture (39%) were also cited as reasons for feeling emotionally and physically exhausted. Additionally, 40% of working parents with children younger than 18 living at home said managing childcare and work is the biggest reason they feel burnt out.

As many as 74% of surveyed workers said they plan to start or continue freelancing in 2024. Just as many respondents said freelancing has or will positively impact their mental health.

Gali Arnon, Fiverr’s Chief Business Officer, Marketplace, explains that “pressures to return to the office, a 9-5 schedule, stress from management, and a lack of free time have all contributed to an epidemic of burnout.”

Over two-thirds of business leaders admitted they are aware that burnout is on the rise in their organizations but failed to provide relevant resources for employees. 85% of leaders also believed the concerning level of burnout has negatively impacted their talent retention rates.

On the other hand, improving well-being is a top priority for 47% of workers. As many as 65% of workers said they would consider leaving their current employer if their work-life balance doesn’t improve, with millennials (78%) reporting the highest likelihood.

With organizations failing to provide resources for employees to combat burnout, an increasing number of traditional workers are shifting toward freelancing to improve well-being. Employees cited flexibility and control (31%) and the ability to work from home more often (26%) as the biggest motivators.

Fiverr’s survey suggests that freelancers can step into organizations to relieve full-time employees from intense workloads. “Freelancers extend company bandwidth, fortify the organization with new skills, and allow for more flexibility,” Arnon said.

Nearly half (48%) of business leaders reported working with freelancers throughout 2023 and intend to continue in 2024. More than 90% of business leaders working with or intending to hire freelancers believe freelancers are helping their in-house employees manage their workloads more effectively.