Well-Being Barometer
Employee well-being has become a strategic business priority for your organisation. But do you really know how your people are doing?
To find out, we analysed more than 8,000 responses from the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) collected via My Mind by AG in the MyAG Employee Benefits app. Developed by KU Leuven, BAT is a scientifically proven tool designed to identify the early signs of burnout.
The findings are clear: employee well-being is under increasing pressure. The good news? There is still time to act.
Are your employees at risk?
The Barometer results, based on data collected since 2023, reveal a clear and alarming trend.
Green score: "No risk"
Orange score: "At risk"
Red score: "High risk"
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- Just over half of your employees (54%) are currently outside the high-risk category. That's a surprisingly narrow majority.
- One employee in four is already experiencing severe burnout symptoms.
- Most concerning of all, the risk of burnout continues to increase year after year.
The trend is unmistakable: the "healthy" group is shrinking, while the proportion of employees at high risk continues to grow. Meanwhile, a substantial group remains in the intermediate risk category.
In other words, more employees are approaching a critical tipping point.
The figures are unequivocal: well-being is declining year after year. If organisations fail to measure and address the issue today, they will pay for it through absenteeism tomorrow." Benoit Halbart – Managing Director Marketing EB/HC
Our data shows a consistent shift in risk profiles. The proportion of respondents in the green zone is gradually declining, while the red zone continues to expand.
The relatively stable size of the orange zone highlights an important opportunity for employers. These employees are not yet in the danger zone, but they remain vulnerable. Taking targeted action at this stage can help prevent further deterioration and support a return to healthier levels of well-being. What is particularly concerning, however, is the steady growth of the red zone.
This suggests that an increasing number of employees are moving beyond early warning signs and into more severe burnout territory. Taken together, these findings point to a structural deterioration in employee well-being.
What you don’t always see: how burnout develops
Burnout doesn’t happen overnight. It develops gradually across four interconnected dimensions.
How the picture is evolving:
This is typically where burnout begins. The proportion of employees in the green zone is declining, while the red zone continues to grow. Employees increasingly report feeling drained before the workday has even started, running out of energy more quickly and struggling to recover once the day is over. Burnout doesn't begin with a loss of motivation. It begins with a loss of energy.
This area shows the most significant deterioration. The share of employees in the red zone now exceeds 30%, indicating growing difficulty managing emotions and coping with workplace demands. Extreme fatigue can reduce emotional resilience, leading to irritability, frustration, concentration problems and impaired judgement. The findings point to a growing mental and emotional burden that is becoming harder to manage.
Here too, the green zone is shrinking, while the red zone is growing. Employees begin to disengage from their work, their colleagues and, in some cases, the organisation itself. Enthusiasm fades, cynicism increases and people tend to operate on autopilot rather than feeling genuinely engaged in what they do.
This dimension also shows a decline in the green zone, although it is more moderate, and an increase in the red zone. Employees report more memory lapses, concentration difficulties and decision-making problems. Tasks take longer, mistakes become more frequent and learning new information requires greater effort. Simply put, clear thinking becomes harder.
Burnout starts when energy runs out. Once that happens, everything else begins to unravel - emotions, engagement and clarity of thought." Eva Deschans - CEO of Waldon
A clear warning signal
Comparing today's results with those from 2023 reveals three key findings:
- No dimension shows meaningful improvement.
- Every dimension is moving in the wrong direction.
- Emotional regulation has reached particularly concerning levels.
Taken together, these findings suggest that the decline in workplace well-being is not temporary. It may reflect a deeper, more structural trend.
The work environment matters
Research consistently shows that the work environment plays a decisive role in employee well-being. Supportive workplace cultures are associated with lower stress levels, greater autonomy and a reduced risk of long-term absenteeism.
Many organisations believe they are investing in employee well-being. But unless it becomes a strategic priority, they may simply be laying the groundwork for the next wave of burnout." Eva Deschans - CEO of Waldon
Why your current initiatives may not be enough
Today, nine out of ten companies invest in employee well-being initiatives. Yet only one in seven embeds well-being within a broader organisational strategy. The result? Well-intentioned but fragmented initiatives that struggle to deliver lasting impact.
Research by organisational well-being specialists such as Waldon shows that lasting impact requires a structured, data-driven approach.
To make a meaningful difference, action is needed at four levels:
- Individual: boost personal resilience
- Team: reinforce psychological safety
- Management: equip leaders with the right skills and tools
- Organisation: review workloads, processes and ways of working
The greatest opportunities for change lie at the management and organisational levels.
For more detailed insights and the full findings, consult the dedicated study: part 1 and part 2.
Turn insight into action
With My Mind by AG, already included in the MyAG Employee Benefits app, your employees gain immediate access to practical tools and guidance that support their mental well-being every day.
With My Mind Premium, you can go further by measuring burnout risk using BAT, identifying early warning signs, providing personalised support and tracking well-being trends over time.
In addition, specialist partners such as Waldon can help transform these insights into action: in-depth well-being analysis, tailored well-being strategies and evidence-based support programmes. Together, these solutions help turn insight into action and embed well-being into the fabric of your organisation.
As an employer with AG, you have powerful tools at your disposal to act proactively and make well-being a genuine driver of sustainable performance.
What do you stand to gain?
Investing in employee well-being is more than a people initiative - it's a business decision. Higher engagement, stronger performance, lower absenteeism and better retention all contribute to long-term success. After all, employees perform at their best when they have the mental bandwidth and resilience to do so.
In conclusion
The message is clear: more and more of your employees are at risk of reaching a tipping point. But you have the power to change course.
The only question is: will you wait for burnout to become a problem, or act before it does?
Questions ?
Do not hesitate to contact your usual contact person. We will be happy to assist you.