Employees who believe their work is meaningful may be less likely to burn out and more likely to remain in their role, according to a new study published in the journal Public Administration Review.
Front-line public service workers, in particular, often put up with emotional exhaustion, low pay and long hours when they feel they can help others, the study found.
“The idea is that, for the most part, people who work for the government want to do things that help other people and benefit society,” Bradley Wright, the lead author and a professor at the University of Georgia, said in a news release.
“Our findings suggest that if someone chooses an occupation because they want to help people, they find their work to be very meaningful,” Wright said. “And that can help provide some psychological or emotional buffer to the stresses they face.”
Employee burnout has reached its highest rate in nearly a decade, according to a Glassdoor report. In employee reviews, mentions of burnout were connected with 26% lower ratings for employers.
In the UGA study, which analyzed surveys of more than 650 police officers from 2019 and 2021, participants reported stressors related to the pandemic and protests for racial justice reform, including emotional strain and burnout. At the same time, many also agreed that their work makes their community safer and they feel prepared to make sacrifices for the greater good.
To prevent burnout, the researchers found, workers need to feel like they actually help people. If they want to help others but don’t feel like they do, they’ll still feel stress and burnout.
To help, managers and supervisors can reaffirm the importance and value of an employee’s work, particularly during times of stress, the researchers said. Leaders can do this by providing positive feedback, offering support resources and showing the tangible impact of an employee’s work.
During the final quarter of 2025, employee retention and burnout are key talent themes for employers, according to a Gallagher report. Although two-thirds of employers expressed concerns about stress and burnout among their workers, only a quarter said they provide mental health training to managers, HR professionals or other leaders.
Burnout can cost companies up to $21,000 per employee annually, according to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. For a 1,000-person company with a typical employee distribution, that adds up to more than $5 million each year.