ITALY PRODUCES BUT CONSUMES

Camilla, a project manager, drags herself from bed to the car, her chest tight with a sense of emptiness. This isn’t temporary fatigue—it’s the weight of ongoing emotional exhaustion. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines this state as burnout: a “syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed”, marked by exhaustion, mental detachment, and reduced professional effectiveness.

In Italy, no one is spared. A survey by GoodHabitz conducted a year ago found that 70% of Italian workers suffer from stress and burnout. More than 13% of these report acute symptoms, while half of the respondents feel uncomfortable discussing the issue with their managers.

INAIL data confirms that the upward trend in burnout and work-related mental health disorders is continuing. In the first quarter of 2025, 9,556 reports of occupational illness were filed, compared to 8,579 in the same period in 2024—an increase of 11.4%. Between January and April 2025, total reports surpassed 33,136, up 9.4% from the same period in 2024, with an 8.9% rise in the Industry and Services sector alone (from 25,047 to 27,285).

Healthcare and education are among the sectors most affected by burnout. Over half of doctors (52%) and nearly half of nurses (45%) report suffering from the syndrome, while more than 40% of teachers show signs of emotional exhaustion.

Industry is no exception. In the first quarter of 2025, INAIL recorded 24,419 occupational illness claims (+8.0% compared to 2024), with 20,225 of them from the Industry and Services sector alone (+8.0%). This sector accounts for around 83% of total reported cases, underscoring its role as the epicenter of stress-related workplace issues. Despite advancements in automation and efficiency, the lack of structured well-being policies often turns these tools into amplifiers of distress. Split shifts, relentless pace, and mounting production demands are transforming the "smart factory" into a place that is emotionally and physically taxing for its workers.

The roots of burnout lie in a toxic mix: unsustainable workloads, constant pressure to meet ambitious targets, lack of decision-making autonomy, and a mismatch between personal and organizational values. On top of that, a poor culture of peer and managerial support leaves employees feeling isolated rather than empowered.

Burnout is not a fleeting discomfort—it has clinical and organizational consequences: from drops in productivity to prolonged absences, depression, and voluntary resignations. According to Bianchi and Schonfeld (2023), the cost to companies and healthcare systems in industrialized countries may exceed 3% of GDP.

To combat this “silent virus,” the WHO is developing evidence-based guidelines for workplace mental health. These include organizational interventions such as workload reduction, flexible scheduling, and psychological support, along with stress management training programs.

One notable Italian initiative is the “Tilt” project by INAIL Puglia: a short film portraying the daily struggles of call center operators suffering from burnout. The film serves as a powerful tool for awareness and training.

Another stark example comes from the medical field: the Italian Association of Medical Oncology reports that 80% of young oncologists experience burnout, largely due to bureaucratic overload and the emotional strain of dealing with patients and their families. Programs like the “Aiom Games” seek to mitigate this through workshops and training courses.

Now more than ever, a shift in direction is urgently needed. Companies and institutions must work together to redesign processes and value people. The silent erosion caused by modern work demands a bold response—not just technical, but cultural. It’s time to move beyond the notion of well-being as a “perk” and instead embrace it as a strategic pillar of organizational success.

For industry, this means embedding mental health into technology development, production processes, and leadership models. Workplaces must be reimagined to be not only smarter but also more human. We need a new kind of emotional literacy—one that engages entrepreneurs, managers, unions, and universities—to identify and address the signs of burnout before they become chronic. Even Industry 5.0 must include metrics for well-being, tools for psychophysical monitoring, listening frameworks, and sustainable flexibility.

There must also be investment in ongoing training—technical and transversal—that includes stress management, communication, and care. The companies that embrace this will be the ones that attract top talent, retain their workforce, and build lasting value.

We need clear, integrated public policies: prevention funds, incentives for organizations that adopt best practices, and awareness campaigns to break the stigma. Universities can serve as a vital bridge between research and real-world application, involving students, educators, and businesses in collaborative projects. Burnout should be recognized as a systemic warning sign. Ignoring it means overlooking a deep flaw in our way of working and producing. Listening to it, however, can offer a rare opportunity to rethink the very identity of work—making it not only more sustainable but finally, more meaningful.