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Lifestyle

Viktorija Ošikaitė

95 Spot-On Memes About This World That We Have To Work In

Spending half of your waking time (assuming you have the luxury of a regular sleep schedule) on your survival doesn't sound that bad, right? But add the minutes you spend meal prepping, commuting, and checking your corporate email, and suddenly it's more like two-thirds, which, again, isn't all terrible. However, let's be honest—parts of the daily grind are. And, when we feel overworked and underappreciated, the Instagram account 'Anti-Work Memes' is ready to remind us that there's still someone who gets it. If a silly joke is what you need to survive another meeting, this place has plenty.

More info: Instagram

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According to last year's State of Work in America survey from Grant Thornton, there's a legitimate reason for people to be irritated at—or with—their work.

Fifty-one percent of respondents reported having suffered burnout in the past year, a 15 percentage-point jump since 2023.

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Respondents said the top causes of their burnout were mental and emotional stress (63%), followed by long hours (54%).

While worker shortages can contribute to long hours, according to the researchers, the increase in mental and emotional stress as a cause of burnout is a concern because this increase can also be due to factors outside of the business' control.

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While the increase in burnout was a major finding, the survey also discovered that:

30% assert their financial well-being declined this year, with 32% saying their mental well-being declined;
20% report there is little to no transparency in their career path;
62% hold a second job or are considering doing so;
52% say their organization will increase AI use in the next year;
34% cited poor communication as a top cause of work stress;
28% believe their role will be reduced or replaced by AI in the coming year.

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And it's not just the US. Many places in the Western world are battling with similar problems. For example, about 45 percent of Australian workers across all generations also report being unhappy.

A new survey found that senior leadership and salary were the top two factors contributing to their dissatisfaction, but stress also plays a huge part, with 41 percent of respondents reporting having problems with it, as well as career progression opportunities (37 percent), and company commitment to social and environmental responsibility (35 percent).

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Companies should take notice, because burnout can cause key leadership and top talent to become worn down. When this happens, they consider quitting their roles even amid concerns of job insecurity.

Consulting firm DDI's Global Leadership Forecast 2025 showed that among the 71% of stressed-out leaders surveyed, more than half were worried about burnout and nearly half have considered leaving their jobs as a result.

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Known as "revenge quitting," highly talented employees can also abruptly leave their jobs to get back at companies where they felt overworked and undervalued. According to DDI, among high-potential contributors, the intention to quit increased from 13% in 2020 to 21% in 2024.