Research shows that hard-working employees are most at risk of burnout

They say that no good deed goes unpunished.

Now researchers have confirmed that the sardonic old dictum certainly seems to apply to those with a strong work ethic.

Because such workers may be at the greatest risk of burnout, they suggest.

The Australian researchers, who surveyed 1,003 people experiencing burnout about their attitudes towards work, found a strong association with their reliability and diligence.

It has been found that people with a strong work ethic are at the greatest risk of burnout as they set “relentless standards” for themselves

Professor Gordon Parker, a clinical psychiatrist from the University of New South Wales who conducted the research with colleagues, said: “People with perfectionist traits are usually excellent workers as they are extremely reliable and conscientious. However, they are also prone to burnout as they set unrealistic and unrelenting standards for their own performance that are ultimately impossible to meet.

Typically, they agreed with statements such as “I feel very motivated to continue fulfilling my responsibilities”, “I am seen as a very responsible person”, “I cannot let go of my responsibilities” and “I feel such an integral part of my job ‘.

They also very likely admitted to being perfectionists with “relentless demands” on themselves. Professor Gordon Parker, a clinical psychiatrist from the University of New South Wales who conducted the research with colleagues, said: “People with perfectionist traits are usually excellent workers as they are extremely reliable and conscientious.

“However, they are also prone to burnout because they set unrealistic and unyielding standards of their own performance that ultimately cannot be met.” Burnout is typically described as emotionally drained, less capable, and less empathetic.

But separate research from the University of New South Wales found that people experiencing burnout have several other problems.

When 1,019 people were presented with a list of possible burnout symptoms, more than two-thirds were actually exhausted, but more than a third also described feeling angry and irritable towards colleagues and people in their personal lives.

About a third had problems sleeping and a third had cognitive problems such as memory problems and difficulty concentrating.

Professor Parker said: “Most people think of burnout as extreme fatigue.

‘[But] People struggling with burnout also suffer from cognitive dysfunction, sometimes referred to as ‘brain fog’, and separation from their friends and family.’

Burnout could also be triggered by commitments at home, according to experts.

Professor Parker, founder of the Black Dog Institute, which researches mental illness, co-wrote a book that offers coping strategies called Burnout: A Guide to Identifying Burnout and Pathways to Recovery.