When senior leaders step on the accelerator, employees can burn out

The challenge is that many people feel pressure from several directions at once. Typically, it’s not only work that places demands and expectations on them. Family life can also be challenging, whether through the logistics of daily life, children who are struggling, or caring for ill relatives.  

”People often assume that stress disappears when they take a break. But stress isn’t like flu that simply goes away after a week or two. If you return to exactly the same circumstances as before the break, the underlying problem has not been solved and the symptoms of stress are likely to return unless something in your environment has changed,” says Julie Engelund Sander. 

Leaders can unintentionally create additional pressure

Part of the solution lies with leaders. Although intensions are often positive, high ambitions and a flood of new ideas after the summer break can create unnecessary pressure across an organisation. If five new initiatives are launched in September on top of already packed calendars, without anything else being deprioritised, workloads increase and so does the risk of stress. It is therefore important to be mindful of both how and when new initiatives are introduced:

“Half of employees don’t return from their summer break feeling fully recharged, and only one in five finds the return to work inspiring and motivating. This isn’t a sign of lack of commitment. It’s a reality that leaders need to understand and take seriously. Good leadership starts with recognising where people actually are, rather than where we hope they are. If we fail to read the room, our own enthusiam can end up becoming and additional burden on our organisation and our employees,” explains Velliv’s CEO, Kim Kehlet Johansen.

He compares the period after the summer holidays to an athlete returning after a break. No responsible coach would begin with maximum intensity. Yet many leaders risk doing exactly that when full calendars, new projects and high expectations meet employees on their very first day back. 

“A more balanced return to work requires courage from leaders. In the short term, it may appear to slow momentum and reduce competitiveness. But this is not about travelling at full speed or standing still. It’s about adapting to the conditions and recognising that small adjustments are often enough. Stress isn’t a hypothetical risk. It affects almost every workplace. And while workplace factors are rarely a sole cause of stress, both the individual and the organisation are affected when an employee is signed off work with stress. That’s why everyone has a shared interest in preventing it.”