A recent study released today by York St John University and the University of Bath on the threat of employee burn-out has coincided with a current petition in Luxembourg calling for the phenomenon to be treated as an occupational illness.

In the report, which was published in the 'Personality & Social Psychology Review' journal today, researchers examined the impact of employee perfectionism on the chances of extreme stress and burnout, which is characterised by long-term exhaustion and diminished interest in work.

Through a detailed review of research, the researchers found that perfectionism, a personality trait encompassing excessively high personal standards coupled with harsh self-criticism, is closely associated with burnout – a syndrome associated with chronic stress that manifests as extreme fatigue, perceived reduced accomplishment and eventual detachment.

And whilst their findings are relevant across education and in sports, the researchers found this relationship is particularly strong in employment settings – something they suggest is increasingly driven by a prevailing performance-outcomes focus in the modern workplace. In such an environment, where poor performance carries significant costs, perfectionist tendencies are often exacerbated, which not only leads to increased stress for individuals but in fact poorer performance and a lack of innovation for organisations.

The findings have coincided with a petition, submitted to the Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies by Claude Eich on 20 June 2015, which is currently seeking signatures in order for burn-out to become officially recognised as an occupational illness in the Grand Duchy. According to Mr. Eich, "Burn-out is affecting more and more employees within companies" - a motivating factor he explained as the reason behind the petition submission.

Dr. Andrew Hill, Associate Professor and Head of Taught Postgraduate Programmes at York St John University, who was lead-author of the review and whose work focusses on the effects of perfectionism in achievement contexts, made a similar comment: "Too often people confuse perfectionism with more desirable features such as being conscientious. Rather than being more productive, perfectionists are likely to find the workplace quite difficult and stressful. Our research suggests that if perfectionists are unable to cope with demands and uncertainty in the workplace, they will experience a range of emotional difficulties."

Dr Thomas Curran, Lecturer in Sport Psychology at the University of Bath, who co-authored the research, and whose work focuses on motivation and emotion added:

"As a society we tend to hold perfectionism as a sign of virtue or high-achievement. Yet our findings show that perfectionism is a largely destructive trait. We suggest its effects can be managed and organisations must be clear that perfection is not a criteria of success. Instead, diligence, flexibility and perseverance are far better qualities."