Burnout: a reconfigured social pathology in the COVID-19 era?

The illness of workers through work is a serious problem and its resolution seems a difficult dream to reach, at least in upcoming times Today, human subsistence depends mainly on labor, being its centrality in people's lives unquestionable However, modern management techniques such as intensification of work and management by stress are destroying social relations at work This paper aims to present a theoretical reflection about burnout as an unequivocal form of expression of one of the most serious pathologies associated with the labor settings, about burnout prevention strategies, and about the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic caused in worker's psychological state and burnout Burnout seems to be democratized, affecting all workers, regardless of hierarchical level and professional area Recent research shows that a decrease in mental health at work is ongoing, as well an increase in burnout during this COVID-19 era Thus, more than ever, occupational health should play an active role in the prevention of workplace mental health