How Leading Consulting Firms Address the Rising Challenge of Burnout

Newsweek

a day ago

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Across the country, employee engagement is at all-time lows as people deal with labor market, socioeconomic and geopolitical instability. During this time, managers have been tasked with keeping people happy while balancing executive interests in productivity, office attendance and avoiding corporate activism.
In the field of management consulting, where client demands and working hours can be grueling, companies like EY, PwC and Accenture are addressing these challenges by boosting their support for employees' well-being. All three firms were named to Newsweek's America's Greatest Workplaces list earlier this month.
"Well-being is unique to every person. That's why, at EY, we take a holistic approach—prioritizing physical, mental, financial and social wellness," Kim McConnell, director of EY Assist, told Newsweek via email, adding that personalized benefits plus focus on team building and measuring progress are keys to the company's strategy.
Burnout has been noted as a rising issue since the pandemic-driven lockdowns of 2020. Google searches for "work burnout" and "burnout symptoms" reached all-time highs in the middle of 2022 and have remained high. Both terms have spiked again in the middle of this year, with "work burnout" reaching a new all-time high. Researchers have identified cultures of silence, "invisible work," and a lack of inclusion as sources of burnout.
"Well-being isn't a one-time effort but an ongoing commitment to making it part of our everyday experience," Kim Jones, talent strategy and people experience leader at PwC, told Newsweek via email. "We're creating intentional space for our people to recharge and refocus, empowering them to thrive in a sustainable way. We're also providing our people with resources and learning opportunities, such as time for upskilling and volunteering."
Recently launched initiatives at PwC include Rock Your Block, weekly uninterrupted time where internal meetings are not allowed, and My Milestone Rewards, which allows people to choose the health and well-being benefits that they would like most. The company invested $22 million in the rewards program.
Accenture's well-being strategy focuses on the "three Rs"—recognition, recovery and renewal—as Dr. Tamarah Duperval-Brownlee, the company's chief health officer and a former practicing physician, explained in an interview with Morning Brew last year.
Accenture's benefits include financial education, apps and tools to help with sleep and caregiver support as well as courses to support well-being, resilience and belonging. An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Mental Health Ally Network provide professional support and internal networking, and birth parents get 16 weeks of paid leave while other parents receive eight weeks. On its website, Accenture also lists flexible work programs and fertility and dependent care support among the benefit offerings available to employees.
PwC employees enjoy expansive health and well-being benefits.
PwC employees enjoy expansive health and well-being benefits.
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PwC's benefits package also includes financial coaching, well-being support in the form of coaches, rewards and an EAP, as well as expansive professional development and networking opportunities. Its employees also have access to counseling apps and platforms: fitness benefits include Peloton, Wellhub and One Pass, and mental health resources include Talkspace, Brain.fm and Togetherall. PwC also offers fertility, child care and additional caregiver reimbursement and support.
EY has buttressed its efforts with a mental health and emotional support team, which allows employees and family members in their households 25 no-cost mental health coaching our counseling sessions per year. The company also covers up to $1,000 annually toward activities, experiences, vacations or products like video game systems, gym memberships and meal delivery services. Employees also get $500 to help cover commuting costs and pet care and $1,500 for child care or caregiver support.
"We have also developed approaches to supporting well-being through psychological principles, including a mindfulness program and a program that helps participants develop mindsets to navigate challenges and engage in self-growth," McConnell said.
EY has also focused on building internal connections, recognizing how important these bonds can be in addressing dissatisfaction with work. The company provides a service called Team Leader Skills Accelerator, which, McConnell said, "helps establish team norms and behaviors around connection, focus, impact, development and flexibility."
"At EY, we've found that teams who spend 40 to 60 percent of their time together in person experience the optimal balance of collaboration and flexibility," McConnell explained. "They benefit from the on-the-job learning and real-time feedback that are critical to our apprenticeship model; they are also able to build lasting connections and report stronger feelings of psychological safety."
The firm is also measuring employee well-being with the help of new technology.
"We created the EY Vitality Index, a proprietary, AI-powered tool that measures well-being across our teams," McConnell shared. "It does this across 12 key well-being drivers, including experiential data (e.g., whether individuals feel supported, valued and see opportunities for growth) and operational data (e.g., hours worked, PTO utilization and recognition awards). The Vitality Index helps EY leaders spot early signs of burnout and take meaningful actions to correct it."
As the talent market grows tighter and more competitive, employers are tasked with finding better ways to support employee well-being. Those who do it successfully can see gains in culture and people's desire to stay at or recommend working at a company.
"Well-being is a business imperative, and organizations that prioritize it can effectively combat burnout, improve retention and support long-term growth," McConnell said.