There Is a Solution to Burnout, but It Is Under Attack

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.

By William Hatcher and Wesley L. Meares
July 11, 2025

In the United States, government workplaces are becoming “burnout shops” where employees face unreasonable demands, have little control over their work and lack needed support from leadership.  Surveys report that most public employees in the U.S. are suffering from burnout. Many public and private employees report adverse effects on their health due to being burnt out. Such trends led the World Health Organization to label occupation burnout as a workplace phenomenon.

Employees suffering from burnout are exhausted (both mentally and physically), feel they lack efficacy over their work, and express cynicism about their work and the public they serve. Moreover, research on burnout at the local government level demonstrates that burnout disproportionately affects younger generations of women of color. Having a public sector filled with employees suffering from burnout is damaging not just to the individual health of the workers but also to the quality of public services and the health of a nation’s overall democracy.

Burnout is less likely to occur in organizations where employees have reasonable work demands, enjoy a certain degree of control over their work and are supported by leadership. This Demand-Control-Support (DCS) model provides leaders in public administration with a tested framework to fight against burnout in their workplaces.

Despite a trend in many places to return to the days prior to the pandemic when remote work was a relative rarity, it’s clear that when it comes to controlling burnout, remote work can be palliative. Here are three of the reasons why this is the case:

Demand. Flexible work schedules allow employees to balance competing work, family and community demands. Moreover, in recent years, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic and due to increased political polarization, public workers have faced more threats of violence in their workplaces. Having the ability to work remotely provides public employees with the opportunity to work in spaces that they view as safe.

Control. Remote work clearly gives employees more control of their work, which allows them to practice more creativity on the job. Many public workers are in creative class positions or roles that deal with ideas and require deep work. Having flexibility promotes the freedom needed for this deep, creative work.

Support. In the public sector, employees are often underpaid compared to professionals in similar positions in the private sector. Providing flexible approaches to work scheduling is a strategy by which political leaders and managers can demonstrate a commitment to their employees. The strategy is a benefit that may offset the lower pay provided to public employees, which will help organizations fight burnout and recruit and retain workers.

We are currently working on a book about burnout and work-life balance in the public sector. Our research has led us to consider a number of strategies that can help leaders design organizations and workplace policies that promote effective remote work.

1. Remote work policies need to consider that certain jobs may not be eligible for teleworking. Many public sector jobs, especially those in state and local governments, directly interact with the public daily. Individuals in positions orientated toward customer service need to be completely or mostly in-person.
2. Organizations need a clearly defined policy. The components of a remote work policy need to be clearly defined. Moreover, there needs to be a clear process for individuals in an organization to apply for remote work. Having a well-defined policy promotes fairness in implementing the strategy.
3. This policy should give managers and frontline employees discretion. The decision to approve remote work for employees needs to be based on a clear organizational policy that gives lower-level managers and their employees a great deal of discretion.
4. There should not be one-size-fits-all approaches. Governments need to promote flexible policies that give organizations and units discretion. Blanket requirements for or against remote working hinder on-the-ground flexibility and creativity. Research has shown that hybrid remote work arrangements are often the most effective at fighting burnout and promoting performance.
5. Remote work and other flex policies should not be political. They need to be treated as management decisions, not political ones. The policies do not need to be viewed through partisan lenses.

Unfortunately, remote work and other flexible workplace policies have become political, with Republican-controlled states limiting the practices. The second Trump Administration has severely restricted the ability of federal agencies to implement flexible work strategies. This is ill-advised as it is most likely to continue the trend of burnout among public employees.

Furthermore, research and practice have shown that remote work and other flex policies are effective tools for not just fighting burnout but also increasing organizational performance and helping workers be happier on the job. Due to the public sector’s limitations in salary and pay, remote work may be the best tool for promoting happiness among its employees, ensuring quality performance and fighting burnout.

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Author: Dr. William Hatcher is Professor of Public Administration and Chair of Social Sciences at Augusta University.

Author: Dr. Wesley L. Meares is Professor of Public Administration and MPA Director at Augusta University. They are working on a book project on burnout and work-life balance in the public sector. This column was written under the auspices of Barrett and Greene, Inc.

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