I'm often asked to take a look at a team's existing wellbeing provision. Give it a review and offer some advice on how to improve it.

An employer recently shared their strategy with me, including an "Above & Beyond" awards programme. While this is a common approach from well-meaning employers, the way it was implemented in this instance rang alarm bells. Could it be promoting burnout?

The numbers are stark. Seventy percent of burned-out employees are eyeing the exit, forty percent of workers have already quit jobs due to burnout, and one-third of UK employees cite burnout as their reason for leaving. ( data from Visier and The Business Journal )

The awards programme caught my eye because it had the potential to create what behavioural science calls this 'moral licensing'—each achievement makes a person feel they've 'earned the right' to take on even more. The more they achieve, the more they feel compelled to prove themselves.

My advice was to build recognition systems that celebrate the right behaviours - like the team member who maintains consistent output over time and delivers quality work within human hours. Recognise the manager who spots burnout risks early, who encourages time off, who role-models leaving on time. Make sustainable performance the new "above and beyond."