WHY ARE SO MANY EMPLOYEES RUNNING ON EMPTY?

When businesses assess performance, they usually concentrate on productivity, efficiency, engagement, leadership and culture.

They invest heavily in systems, technology and training to improve output. They introduce new processes, performance frameworks and management initiatives.

Yet they rarely look at their team's energy - one of the biggest drivers of business performance.

The reality is simple...

People perform work...

And people require energy to perform.

Even the best systems struggle to deliver results when the people expected to use them are physically and mentally depleted.

So when business leaders are assessing performance, the question they should be asking is not simply:

“How productive are our employees?”

But:

“Do our employees have the capacity to be productive?”

ENERGY IS THE FOUNDATION OF PERFORMANCE

Most leaders understand that tired employees are unlikely to perform at their best. But what is less commonly recognised is how many workplace outcomes are influenced by energy levels.

Energy affects:

• Concentration

• Decision-making

• Problem-solving

• Creativity

• Emotional regulation

• Communication

• Resilience

• Motivation

When energy declines, every one of these capabilities declines too.

And whilst the result may not necessarily appear as sickness absence, it will often manifest as presenteeism — employees who are physically present but unable to perform at their normal capacity. Research has found this costs UK employers significantly more than absenteeism and has become a substantial hidden business cost (RAND Europe, 2017).

THE HIDDEN DRAIN ON WORKPLACE ENERGY

A common assumption is that low energy is simply caused by excessive workload. And whilst workload of course has an impact, energy is influenced by a myriad of factors - both inside and outside work. These include:

• Poor sleep quality

• Physical inactivity

• Nutritional habits

• Chronic stress

• Lack of recovery time

• Long periods of sedentary work

• Poor work-life boundaries

So whilst an employee may technically be at work for eight hours, they may spend much of the day operating below their potential because their physiological resources are depleted. This creates a performance ceiling that no amount of motivation or management pressure can overcome.

Another stumbling block for businesses is that low energy is difficult to measure directly. For example:

• An employee who is tired may take longer to complete tasks

• A manager experiencing chronic fatigue may make poorer decisions

• A team with low energy may communicate less effectively and become more reactive under pressure

None of these outcomes may be recorded as “low energy” on a business report.

Yet energy may be influencing all of them.

Why Wellbeing Initiatives Often Miss The Mark

Most workplace wellbeing programmes focus solely on awareness.

Employees attend seminars.

They receive educational materials.

They learn about healthy behaviours.

And whilst awareness is important, it rarely changes behaviour.

Most people already know they should sleep more, move more and manage stress more effectively. The challenge is creating environments that support those behaviours - which is where businesses have a significant opportunity.

Rather than treating wellbeing as an optional employee benefit, leaders need to view it as a performance strategy.

The objective is not simply healthier employees.

The objective is employees who have the energy and capacity to perform consistently.

What High-Energy Workplaces Do Differently

Businesses that support employee energy in an effective way, focus on small but meaningful changes - examples include:

• Encouraging movement throughout the working day

• Providing education around sleep and recovery

• Reducing unnecessary meetings

• Promoting realistic workloads

• Supporting healthy workplace habits

• Training managers to recognise early signs of energy depletion

These interventions may appear simple, but collectively they will significantly influence employee capacity and performance.

The goal is not perfection - it's creating conditions that allow people to consistently bring their best selves to work.

Energy Is A Business Resource

Most businesses see energy as being an individual responsibility, with employees being expected to manage it themselves. And whilst personal responsibility is important, businesses also play a significant role because the workplace environment can either create, maintain or deplete employee energy.

Businesses carefully manage financial resources, monitor operational resources and track productivity metrics. So perhaps it’s time more businesses viewed employee energy as a strategic resource too. Because when people have the energy to perform, teams are more likely to flourish and businesses are better positioned to achieve the outcomes they want.

WHAT SHOULD BUSINESSES DO?

If employee energy is influencing productivity, engagement and performance, the next step is simple: start treating it as something worth managing. Here are five practical ways organisations can begin.

1. Start discussing employee energy alongside productivity and engagement.

2. Recognise that low performance may sometimes be a capacity issue rather than a capability issue.

3. Consider how workplace culture, workload and wellbeing habits influence energy levels.

4. Focus on creating environments that support recovery, movement and sustainable performance.

5. Treat wellbeing as a performance strategy rather than a standalone initiative.

Businesses don’t achieve high performance by demanding more energy from people. They achieve it by helping people maintain the energy they already have.

References

• CIPD (2023). Health and Wellbeing at Work Survey 2023. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

• Health and Safety Executive (2024). Work-Related Stress, Anxiety or Depression Statistics in Great Britain. HSE

• NHS (2024). Every Mind Matters: Sleep and Wellbeing. National Health Service

• RAND Europe (2017). The Relationship Between Employee Wellbeing and Productivity: A Review of the Literature. RAND Europe

• Stevenson, D. & Farmer, P. (2017). Thriving at Work: The Independent Review of Mental Health and Employers. UK Government