Managers don’t know which employees are overloaded. What should businesses do?

In the modern workplace, employee burnout is no longer a rare occurrence. What’s concerning is that many managers only notice it when performance has already declined or when employees are forced to resign due to exhaustion. This article will analyze the concept of employee overload, the reasons why it’s difficult for managers to recognize, the early warning signs, and both manual and technological solutions to help businesses prevent risks and build a more sustainable work environment.

1. What is employee overload?

Employee overload is a state where the volume of work, time pressure, and responsibilities exceed an individual’s capacity to handle them within a given period. In this situation, employees often have to work longer hours than usual, are under constant stress, and lack sufficient time to recover their energy. The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially recognized burnout from overwork as an occupational syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress, directly affecting health and work performance.

The consequences of employee overload are not limited to the individual employee. In terms of health, they are prone to stress, insomnia, a weakened immune system, and even depression. In terms of work, performance decreases, errors increase, and the risk of resignation is higher. According to a 2022 Deloitte report, 77% of employees have experienced burnout, with up to 42% being forced to quit because they could not endure the prolonged pressure. This means businesses face the costs of replacing staff, decreased team morale, and a decline in their employer brand reputation.

Causes of employee overload:

• Workload exceeds capacity: The business allocates tasks unreasonably, forcing one employee to take on multiple roles simultaneously.
• Relentless and unrealistic deadlines: Managers constantly set urgent requests, leaving employees with no room to recover.
• Lack of support resources: Employees have to handle tasks that should require additional personnel or support tools.
• Inefficient work processes: Manual, overlapping, and multi-layered approval processes force employees to spend time on tasks outside their core responsibilities.
• A culture of “long hours”: In some companies, working overtime is seen as a measure of competence, compelling employees to extend their work hours, even if the efficiency doesn’t match.

2. Reasons why managers don’t know which employees are overloaded

Managers are not always aware of who is shouldering too much work, as several factors can make this situation “invisible”:

• Lack of tools to measure individual progress
  When businesses rely on Excel, email, or unclear task assignments, progress and workload are not visible. Managers cannot get a comprehensive overview of how much work each employee is doing or at what level.
• Employees are reluctant to report being overloaded
  Some fear being judged as “weak” if they report being overloaded. Therefore, they silently “grind” away until they are truly exhausted.
• A culture where “overtime equals competence”
  In competitive environments like Wall Street, working 80–100 hours a week tends to be seen as the norm, leading managers to mistake it for “efficiency” rather than overload.
• Managers don’t check in in a timely manner
  In large teams or remote work settings, infrequent check-ins mean managers only get weekly or monthly updates, failing to notice where things are “breaking.”

In 2021, a group of analysts at Goldman Sachs revealed in an internal report that they were working an average of 95–100 hours per week, sleeping only about 5 hours a night. The employees described their condition as “severe, both physically and mentally,” with many feeling exhausted. This is a classic example of work overload in the harsh financial industry.

Instead of proactively identifying signs of exhaustion, management seemed to have overlooked the situation. The “grind” culture of long hours, considered the norm on Wall Street, led leadership to not view a 95–100 hour workweek as unusual. They only realized it when the group of employees spoke out publicly, reporting inhumane working conditions. This shows that the lack of workload tracking tools and listening channels prevented management from catching on in time.

The incident quickly became a media focus, with Reuters, The Guardian – Group of junior bankers at Goldman Sachs claim ‘inhumane’ work conditions, The New York Times, and Forbes all reporting on it. Goldman Sachs faced immense public pressure, forcing them to make commitments to improve the work environment to retain talent. More importantly, the incident damaged the corporation’s employer brand image, leading many to associate the name Goldman Sachs with “100-hour work weeks” and burnout. This is a costly lesson for businesses: if management fails to detect and address overload early, the consequences will not be limited to employees but will also directly impact the company’s reputation and sustainability.

3. Signs to recognize that an employee is overloaded

One of a manager’s most important skills is promptly detecting signs of employee workload overload before they reach a state of burnout. Many international studies have shown that burnout often accumulates silently but still leaves noticeable “traces” if managers observe closely.

According to Gallup 2019, overloaded employees are 2.6 times more likely to quit than their peers. A 2022 Deloitte report also revealed that 77% of employees admitted to experiencing burnout, with 42% having to resign due to unbearable pressure. These figures warn that ignoring early warning signs can be costly for businesses.

Common signs:

• Decreased performance: Employees frequently miss deadlines, and work quality declines despite being previously stable.
• Behavioral changes: Previously proactive individuals become quiet, irritable, or avoid communication.
• Physical symptoms: Fatigue, lack of sleep, reduced concentration, and proneness to errors. According to the WHO, prolonged stress increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and depression.
• Lack of engagement: Employees participate less in team activities, no longer proactively contribute ideas, and gradually lose motivation.

Hypothetical examples:

• Case 1: A marketing employee who used to submit reports early has recently been consistently late with lower-quality content. When asked, the employee just says they are “too busy” without specifics. This is a warning sign that their workload has exceeded its threshold.
• Case 2: A developer who was previously very sociable in the team has interacted less in meetings, responded slowly to messages, and been absent without clear reasons for the past few weeks. This could be a sign of prolonged stress.
• Case 3: A salesperson reports declining sales while the market remains stable. During a discussion, they mention frequently working late and having no time to rest. This is clear evidence of overload leading to decreased productivity.

4. Manual methods for managers to identify and address employee overload

Before implementing modern technology tools, managers can use manual methods to identify and address overload. The key is to implement them before employees reach a state of burnout, focusing on prevention rather than just damage control.

Common manual methods to address employee overload:

• Regular one-on-one meetings: Managers can schedule short 15–30 minute meetings per week to talk directly with employees. Listening to their feedback helps in the early detection of unreasonable workloads.
• Manual work allocation board: Use an Excel sheet or a physical board to record each employee’s tasks. This makes it easier for managers to see who is shouldering more work and who has less.
• Quick pressure surveys: Periodically send out short forms or surveys for employees to self-assess their workload and stress levels (e.g., on a scale of 1–10). This is a simple way to gather preliminary data.
• Direct observation: Sometimes, simply observing employee behavior—such as staying late, appearing frequently tired in meetings, or working continuously without breaks—can reveal easily noticeable signs.

These manual methods are most effective when used before employees become physically and mentally exhausted. For example: holding regular check-ins, allocating work at the beginning of the month, or conducting quarterly surveys. If applied only after employees are already burnt out, their effectiveness is often very limited.

Advantages of manual methods:

• No cost, easy to implement.
• Creates a direct connection between managers and employees.
• Suitable for small businesses with few employees.

The accompanying disadvantages of these methods:

• Lacks transparency and synchronization when the workforce is large.
• Data can be subjective, depending on whether employees share honestly.
• Difficult to maintain regularly in an environment with multiple departments or remote work.

5. Using work management software to reduce employee workload

As workloads become increasingly complex, it’s difficult for managers to grasp the progress and capacity of each employee just by observation or asking around. This is where work management software comes into play. Specifically:

• Real-time overload identification: Visual reports show who has overlapping tasks, who frequently misses deadlines, and who consistently works overtime.
• Fair and transparent workload tracking: Helps distribute work reasonably, avoiding situations where “some are overloaded while others are idle.”
• Early burnout risk warnings: Some software features workload trend analysis (e.g., an unusual increase in tasks, a growing backlog), allowing managers to intervene before employees burn out.
• Remediation support: Managers can easily adjust, reallocate tasks, or add resources based on specific data, rather than intuition.
• Increased transparency and trust: When workloads are clearly displayed, employees feel that work is distributed fairly, which reduces psychological pressure.

Some notable work management software:

• 1Work (part of 1Office): A work management platform that allows for progress tracking, individual workload allocation, and overload alerts for employees. Its strength lies in its integration with HR management, process, and timekeeping systems – helping to manage workloads synchronously and accurately.
• Microsoft Teams + Viva Insights: Beyond supporting communication, Viva Insights also analyzes work hours, meetings, after-hours emails, etc., helping managers identify early signs of overload.
• Asana: A popular project management software with a workload chart feature to visually display each employee’s workload.
• Trello (Atlassian): Easy to use for small and medium-sized teams, helps divide work using Kanban boards, and quickly identifies who is handling too many tasks.
• Monday.com: Allows for multi-dimensional progress tracking, combining project management with a workload dashboard to warn of overload situations.

This software should be implemented proactively, before overload occurs, such as when workloads begin to increase sharply, projects have tight deadlines, or during transitions to new work models like remote or hybrid work. Early integration helps to grasp actual needs and avoid dealing with the consequences after staff are already overloaded.

Advantages:

• Workload transparency: The software shows who is taking on too much work and who has more capacity, helping with reasonable allocation.
• Early overload warnings: Reports and visual dashboards help managers recognize trends of missed deadlines and accumulating backlogs.
• Saves management time: Reduces reliance on manual reporting, with centralized and automatically updated data.
• Increases engagement and transparency: Employees understand their role in the bigger picture and can more easily share difficulties.
• Supports accurate decision-making: Clear data helps managers easily adjust workloads and reallocate personnel.

Disadvantages:

• Implementation and training costs: For large enterprises, purchasing paid software and the initial training time can be costly.
• Risk of ‘micromanagement’: If managers use data to control minor details, employees may feel excessively monitored.
• Dependent on complete data entry: If employees do not update regularly, the data will be inaccurate.
• Difficult to apply in very small businesses: With small teams, direct communication is sometimes faster than using software.

Buffer is a technology company famous for its fully remote work model. According to the State of Remote Work 2023 report, up to 44% of Buffer employees admitted to working more than the previous year, while 22% said that a sharp increase in workload made it difficult for them to maintain balance. This is a major challenge because remote work often blurs the lines between work and life, leading to a very high risk of burnout.

To address this, Buffer implemented an online work management system (initially Trello, later combining Asana and internal tools) to track each member’s work. All tasks were made transparent on a work board, where everyone could see what others were doing and how busy they were. Managers used this data to reallocate tasks, adjust deadlines reasonably, and encourage employees to proactively report when their workload spiked. At the same time, Buffer organized weekly check-ins, helping employees share their status without needing many meetings, reducing time pressure.

According to Buffer’s own report, 91% of employees said they were satisfied with the remote work environment after the company optimized workload management with software. Stress levels decreased, and proactivity and team cohesion improved. In particular, by making workloads transparent, the percentage of employees who felt they were ‘in control of their work’ increased significantly, becoming one of the factors that helped Buffer maintain its position as one of the happiest remote companies in the world. You can learn more here: 2023 State Of Remote Work.

6. Work Management Processes are Key to Boosting Productivity

When work objectives are unclear, responsibilities are not specific, and feedback is delayed, the entire team’s performance will significantly decrease. This is a common problem in many businesses that lack a transparent management system. In reality, the more tasks and departments involved, the more chaotic inter-departmental coordination becomes without a standard process, leading to increased operational costs.

This article presents a detailed work management process consisting of three stages: setting objectives, monitoring execution, and final performance evaluation. 👉 Read now at: The Most Effective Work Management Process for Businesses

7. Conclusion

Employee burnout is an issue that cannot be taken lightly, as it directly affects the performance, morale, and sustainability of the business. Managers need to proactively recognize the signs, apply timely measures, and choose the right tools to allocate work fairly and scientifically.

To stay updated with useful knowledge on work management, human resource management, and business development, please follow more articles on the 1Office blog. And if your business is looking for a comprehensive solution to reduce employee workload, increase productivity, and maintain team cohesion, contact 1Office now for a consultation and to experience the 1Work work management software.