A chronic case of the “Sunday Scaries” – why more and more people dread going to work

The rise of workplace dread and its impacts

The “Sunday Scaries” – the dread people feel on Sundays when they think about going to work that week – are becoming more common. 

In 2023, mindfulness app Headspace surveyed 2,745 respondents. A significant 87% of workers reported feeling a sense of dread at least once a month, with 49% saying they felt this at least once a week. 

There’s been little improvement since then. A recent survey by Talker Research found that the average American worker experiences the Sunday Scaries 36 times a year, a feeling they describe as anxiety or dread. 

Impact on employees

A sense of dread about coming to work can wreak havoc on employees’ mental and physical health. 

Here are some quotes from employees highlighting this: 

“I cry many mornings as I get ready for the day and am certain the kids would be better off without me. How much of a positive impact can I possibly be making when I’m so unhappy? I no longer feel confident in my abilities as a teacher. It’s harder every day to find joy in my profession, which makes me dread going to work.” - A teacher during the COVID pandemic.

“I don’t want to get up and do anything the next day. I think about calling in sick, so I don’t have to deal with the fires.” - Ana, a non-profit director, speaking to Gallup. 

Impact on employers

Employees who dread coming to work are disengaged and unmotivated. 

According to Gallup, ​​disengaged employees cost employers worldwide $8.9 trillion annually. 

This is because employee engagement, motivation, and satisfaction directly impact key business outcomes:

• Higher employee engagement reduces turnover by 43%

• It also reduces absences by 81%

• Happy employees are 12% more productive

Failing to address chronic work dread can significantly impact employee engagement, motivation, and well-being – increasing turnover and absenteeism while decreasing productivity. 

5 reasons employees dread coming to work

Here are some reasons employees dread coming to work each week. 

1. Toxic workplace culture

A toxic workplace culture is an understandable source of dread for some employees. According to the American Psychological Association, 15% of workers experience a somewhat or very toxic workplace. 

A toxic workplace culture can take many forms. However, the MIT Sloan Management Review highlights five common attributes: disrespectful, noninclusive, unethical, cutthroat, and abusive. 

Naturally, people don’t want to work in toxic environments that cause them stress and anxiety. Having to face a work environment like this every day can go beyond creating a sense of work dread. It can also lead to employees developing workplace trauma or PTSD. 

2. Issues with coworkers or management

Conflicts or ongoing issues with management or colleagues can be another significant source of employee dread. 

Managers can have a huge impact on workers’ well-being and their motivation to come to work. In Headspace’s 2024 Workforce State of Mind report, 43% of employees said their managers’ lack of understanding about life outside of work or unfair treatment has harmed their emotional and mental health. 

Micromanagement also impacts employees: No one looks forward to coming to work when they know their manager will scrutinize their every move and second-guess every decision.

Similarly, issues with coworkers can affect employees’ motivation. These usually go beyond simple disagreements. They could involve instances of bullying, sexual harassment, or repeated microaggressions that impact the targeted employee’s mental health and make them feel psychologically unsafe to come to work. 

3. Stress and burnout

Employees feeling stressed by work may dread facing another day in the office. 

Stress is a common phenomenon among US workers. According to research by the American Psychological Association (APA), 43% of workers report typically feeling stressed or tense during their workday. 

This has dire impacts on employee well-being both inside and outside the workplace. Mental Health America recently surveyed 3,915 workers across various industries. Seventy-six percent of these workers say that work stress affects their sleep, while 65% agree it impacts their personal relationships. 

Several factors can contribute to employee stress levels. 

Headspace found that the main drivers of dread in the workplace were:

• A lack of stability and constant unpredictability in the workplace (45%)

• Feeling overwhelmed by the expectation to take on greater responsibilities (45%)

• Worry about being unable to meet high expectations (42%)

Heightened expectations and greater responsibilities are associated with these drivers. In the wake of major layoffs, many professionals are being asked to do more with less.

Also, post-pandemic, with more employees working from home, the distinction between work and personal life is less clear. Workers are struggling to find a good work-life balance, which is contributing to their stress levels. 

Artificial intelligence is another source of stress. According to a 2025 report by DHR Global, several respondents the organization surveyed have mixed feelings about using AI in the workplace: 10% are unsure, 21% are neutral, and 17% are skeptical. Additionally, 51% express concerns about the potential threat of generative AI to their job security – which may feed into their resistance to using it.

Chronic stress can lead to employees developing burnout, a condition involving constant feelings of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion. One survey found that a worrying 88% of employees report experiencing burnout. Not only does this make them reluctant to come to work – it also makes them want to leave: One in five thinks about quitting their job every day. 

4. Lack of connection

With the rise in hybrid and remote work after the pandemic, workers feel increasingly disconnected, impacting their connection to their jobs. 

For its 2024 State of the Global Workplace report, Gallup surveyed over 120,000 workers worldwide. One in five respondents said they’d felt lonely a lot the previous day, with remote workers (25%) reporting higher levels of loneliness than onsite workers (16%). 

At its worst, a sense of disconnect results in workers feeling isolated and lonely, which can have devastating impacts on their mental and physical health. 

In contrast, strong workplace connections have been shown to have a hugely positive impact on employee well-being and performance. According to long-term research by Gallup, there’s a strong relationship between having best friends at work and employee satisfaction and retention. However, only 20% of US workers say they have a work bestie. 

5. External factors

Factors outside the workplace may also contribute to employee stress and their feelings toward work. 

Headspace’s 2024 Workforce State of Mind report – involving almost 2,500 respondents including employees, CEOs, and HR leaders in the UK and US – found that 98% of workers say global trends affect their emotional and mental health at work. These include political change, economic instability, and global conflicts.

This is truer now in light of the political landscape in the US. According to the APA’s Stress in America 2024 report, which surveyed 3,305 US adults:

• 77% reported the future of the nation as a significant source of stress

• 73% reported concerns regarding the economy

• 69% reported the 2024 US election 

It’s especially easy to understand why this is a source of stress for minority employees, whose rights and protections in the workplace – and beyond – are currently under threat at a political level. 

6 strategies for employers to address work dread

While the situation may sound dire, the good news is that there are tangible steps employers can take to reduce employee dread. 

It helps to keep a few things in mind when choosing the right strategies for your business. 

Firstly, there’s no quick fix. Use a combination of strategies to connect with, engage, and motivate employees. Make a long-term commitment to addressing the issue. It won’t resolve overnight. 

Also, tailor your solutions to the underlying cause(s) of the issue, which will be different for every business. For example, offering employees a few well-being days a year won’t address the damage a deeply toxic workplace causes. 

Here are some strategies to get you started.

1. Regularly check in with employees

Regularly check in with your employees to gauge where they’re at. You can do this by using employee pulse surveys, setting up one-to-one meetings with managers, or putting an anonymous feedback form on your intranet. 

You might discover, for example, that employees with school-aged children are having trouble managing work start/end times and school drop-offs and pick-ups, which is causing them stress. In this situation, you could offer employees more flexibility around their work hours. 

Some employees might identify health conditions like anxiety that are impacting their feelings towards work. Look at your employee well-being program and whether you can offer an employee assistance program that gives workers access to counseling. 

Check-ins are also great for identifying issues with co-workers or managers. We recommend providing an anonymous check-in option in case a worker is afraid to come forward with, say, an issue with their manager. Discovering issues like these can help you determine interventions – from coaching or mediation to disciplinary action.

Keith Smith, co-founder and CEO of Payability, recommends asking team members directly about their Sunday Scaries by using the “Sunday Night Test” to create a culture of candor: 

“The Sunday Night Test is simple: are you dreading the week ahead in your job? If so, then it’s time to embrace a brass tacks analysis of the source of that dread and figure out whether it may be time to make a change. If you are a leader or a manager, it’s incredibly important to know whether your teams are passing or failing the Sunday Night Test.”

2. Offer well-being days

Consider adding well-being or mental health days to your benefits packages in addition to regular vacation leave or time off. 

Well-being days give employees a breather. They can step away from work and enjoy the day doing something they love, whether that’s seeing a movie, catching up with friends, or just resting. This gives them a chance to recharge and return to work with a spring in their step – rather than a sense of dread. 

Several large companies offer well-being or mental health days, including Nike and NerdWallet. 

Dr Nick Taylor, founder and CEO of Unmind, highlighted the benefits of well-being days to Raconteur. “Mental-health days have… been shown to improve retention by boosting employee morale and loyalty,” he says. “Allowing employees to take the time they need to nurture and support their mental health allows them to return to work more focused, creative and productive.”

However, Dr Taylor warns that well-being days aren’t a silver bullet solution to mental health issues. While they may help address the occasional work dread, employers must use them as “part of a broader strategic shift” to address any underlying issues fully. 

3. Foster an inclusive and supportive workplace culture

The antidote to a toxic workplace culture? Fostering a supportive workplace that prioritizes inclusion. This creates an environment where employees feel like they belong and want to come to work. 

Research by BetterUp found that when employees feel a sense of belonging at work, there’s a:

• 75% reduction in sick days

• 50% decrease in turnover risk

• 56% increase in performance 

One helpful strategy for creating a supportive workplace culture is setting up a mentoring system. Whether peer-to-peer or hierarchical, mentor relationships ensure employees have someone to speak with to provide perspective and solutions.  

This approach is especially important for addressing remote employees’ isolation. Think about ways to include your remote employees and create a positive work culture. 

These may include:

• Running remote team-building activities

• Setting up a communication schedule with remote employees

• Giving team members access to the communication tools they need to collaborate

• Recognizing remote employees and celebrating their achievements

• Following our remote work best practices. 

Finally, ensure your expectations for all employees – remote, hybrid, and in-office – are realistic and not too high. A culture that promotes overwork by asking employees to do a lot with a little isn’t supportive. 

Even if you’re asking employees to do more with “more” by equipping them with productivity-increasing tools – like AI – don’t just throw them into the deep end with such tools. Give them proper training that supports a positive attitude towards these tools. For example, ensure your AI training programs give workers all the AI skills they need. Also, teach employees that AI is meant to enhance the workforce (rather than replace it).

4. Help employees understand the scope and impact of their work

When employees understand the context and value their work adds, they’re more likely to feel engaged and less likely to dread facing their workweeks.

According to Harvard Business Publishing, 90% of employees and executives agree that work needs to bring a sense of purpose to their lives. When they feel aligned with the company’s purpose, they’re 77% more likely to be engaged. 

This is especially true for younger workers. Deloitte’s 2024 Gen Z and Millennial Survey involved over 22,800 global participants. Eighty-six percent of Gen Zs and 89% of Millennials said a sense of purpose was key to job satisfaction and well-being. 

There are two parts to addressing this. First, ensure your business has a clear corporate purpose, including a strong mission and core values that employees can connect with. Second, help employees understand how their work directly supports this purpose. This fosters a greater sense of purpose and connection in their work. 

Managers play a large part in clearly defining employees’ roles and helping them understand the context of their contributions. Ensure this is a topic of discussion during regular reviews. 

5. Educate employees on developing resilience

Developing reliance helps employees manage and address the underlying causes of work dread, including stress. 

European-based research by Aon found that resilient employees are almost twice as likely to be motivated. However, only 30% of employees feel resilient. 

Aim to address this gap by providing employees with in-house resilience training (either in person or online) or giving your employees access to external content – for example, a subscription to Headspace’s mindfulness app. These programs will help them develop skills for dealing with personal stressors and adapting to difficult situations. 

There are other small actions you can take to support employee resilience.

Boundary setting is an integral part of developing workplace resilience. Leadership can help employees with this – for example, by discouraging employees from checking emails on weekends or evenings when they should be switching off from work. 

Another idea? Create an end-of-workday decompression session. Encourage employees to set aside five minutes at the end of the day to acknowledge a win, write down something for tomorrow, or reflect on what they’ve achieved that day. A moment’s pause can signal the end of the workday, allowing employees to switch off from work more easily. 

6. Use skills-based hiring to find the best-fit employees

A skills-based approach to recruitment helps you hire people whose skills best align with the position. Employees with the right skills to do their jobs are less likely to feel stressed and overwhelmed by their responsibilities. Instead, they’ll feel confident in their abilities. Employees are assigned tasks that match their strengths, reducing the risk of burnout. 

You can also use skills-based hiring to ensure you find workers with the right soft skills – like communication, resilience, and adaptability – to overcome workplace challenges that can be a source of work dread. As a bonus, customizable tests like the Culture Add test and the Motivation test can assess value fit and help you hire candidates who will be motivated at your organization.

Reduce work dread for a healthier workplace

The Sunday Scaries are on the rise and employers must do something about it. Various factors can contribute to employees experiencing work dread – a toxic workplace culture, conflicts with colleagues, micromanagement, stress, and a lack of connection. 

You can reduce work dread by using strategies like checking in with your employees, creating an inclusive environment, and using a skills-based approach to hiring.

Don’t leave your employees to deal with the Sunday Scares alone. Take a proactive approach to building a resilient, motivated, and engaged workforce.