Manager engagement dropped from 27% in 2024 to 22% in 2025, according to Gallup’s 2026 State of the Global Workplace report. That five-point decline is the steepest single-year fall Gallup has recorded for people managers. Meanwhile, 71% of managers globally report burnout symptoms, and mid-level managers fare even worse at 78%. The managers responsible for team performance are themselves becoming the biggest organizational risk factor.
The data that got my attention
Three numbers stopped me cold. First, the historic engagement gap between managers and individual contributors compressed from 11 points in 2022 to just 3 points in 2025. Managers used to be meaningfully more engaged than the people they led. That premium has nearly vanished. Second, managers are now 36% more likely to experience burnout than non-managers, according to a meQuilibrium survey cited by Forbes. Third, burnout costs an estimated $10,824 per manager per year, compared to $4,257 for salaried non-managers. The cost escalates sharply with seniority: executives average $20,683 annually in burnout-related expenses.
Why this matters now
The cost compounds across the organization. Burnout-related expenses total roughly $5.04 million per 1,000 employees annually, with 89% of that cost driven by presenteeism rather than absenteeism. Burned-out managers are physically present but operating at diminished capacity. Gallup research shows managers account for roughly 70% of team engagement variance, so when managers disengage, entire teams follow. Employees who feel strongly supported by their managers are 58% less likely to experience burnout themselves. The manager’s condition is the team’s condition.
What the research actually shows
The data points to a structural problem, not an individual resilience deficit. Gallup reports that 97% of U.S. managers also perform individual-contributor work, spending roughly 40% of their time on non-management tasks. Managers are asked to lead people and produce deliverables simultaneously, with neither role fully resourced. A meQuilibrium analysis found that 49% of managerial candidates lacked effective conflict management skills, while only 12% demonstrated high proficiency. Companies are promoting people into management roles without equipping them with the core skills the job requires.
Coaching-trained managers see 20-28% improvements in team performance, according to 2026 research compiled by Worktime. Development programs function as both wellbeing and productivity interventions, but most organizations treat manager training as a one-time onboarding event rather than an ongoing practice.
| Role level | Annual burnout cost per person | Primary cost driver |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly non-manager | $3,999 | Presenteeism |
| Salaried non-manager | $4,257 | Presenteeism |
| Manager | $10,824 | Presenteeism + turnover |
| Executive | $20,683 | Decision quality decline |
| Per 1,000 employees | $5,040,000 | 89% presenteeism |
A practical framework for leaders
The most effective manager wellness interventions target job design, not just individual coping strategies. Four framework elements emerge consistently across 2024-2026 research from Gallup, Deloitte, and workplace wellbeing studies:
- Span-of-control audit: Review how many direct reports each manager supports relative to their authority and bandwidth. Overloaded spans of control drive decision fatigue and role overload, the top predictors of manager burnout.
- Weekly 1:1 coaching cadence: Protect one coaching hour per direct report each week. This structured time improves support quality, priority alignment, and relationship strain before they become resignation letters.
- Direct manager wellbeing measurement: Survey managers on their own burnout levels, not just employees on their managers. Most engagement surveys skip the manager layer entirely, leaving leadership blind to the problem.
- Peer cohort communities: Run facilitated groups of 6-8 managers at the same level. Isolation is a primary burnout driver for mid-level managers who feel pressure from both directions without a peer support structure.
The bottom line
Manager burnout is a job-design problem disguised as a wellness problem. The data is unambiguous: managers are doing two jobs at once, lacking core conflict management skills, and burning out at rates that cost organizations millions. Generic wellness perks, meditation apps, and resilience training will not fix a broken operating model. The organizations that audit span of control, protect coaching time, measure manager wellbeing directly, and build peer support cohorts will retain their managers and, through them, their teams.
Where to go from here
If your managers are showing signs of burnout, the right response is a structured intervention, not another survey. executive coaching provides individualized support for managers navigating chronic stress, team dysfunction, and role overload. A coaching engagement addresses the specific job-design factors driving burnout in your organization.
