The Real Cost of Burnout in High-Performance Finance Roles
Burnout doesn’t always look like collapse. More often, it looks like people pushing through, until they can’t.
The Silent Risk in Finance
High-performance finance tends to attract a certain type of person. Ambitious. Analytical. Resilient. We pride ourselves on solving complex problems, staying calm under pressure, and being the people others rely on when it matters most.
But underneath all that capability, there's a quieter pattern taking shape. Finance professionals burning out. Slowly, often silently, and sometimes without even realising it.
We don’t talk about it much. Maybe it feels too personal. Maybe we're too busy reforecasting the quarter. But the impact is real. And the cost isn’t just professional - it’s deeply personal too.
To help you assess how close you or your team are to burnout - and how to course correct - I’ve created a Burnout Risk Self-Assessment (link at the end of this blog).
It can be used to recognise the early warning signs of burnout, reflect on contributing factors and take steps towards improvement.
What Burnout Looks Like in FP&A
Burnout rarely announces itself. It doesn’t always come with dramatic breakdowns or public resignations. Often, it looks like:
Strong performers who seem a bit less sharp than they used to be
Teams that keep hitting deadlines but haven’t had a real break in months
People who still care deeply, but can’t seem to switch off
It’s the analyst replying to emails at midnight, telling themselves it's just a busy period.
It’s the finance manager in back-to-back meetings, unsure when they last did any real thinking.
It’s people still delivering, but not feeling like themselves while doing it.
Where Burnout Comes From
Every business is different, but the patterns are familiar. Here are three common pressure points I’ve seen over and over.
1. Blurred Work-Life Boundaries
Finance often runs on someone else’s timeline. A last-minute request for numbers, a board pack that needs reworking, a reforecast brought forward with no notice.
Over time, those late nights and weekend log-ins start to feel normal. Teams stop questioning whether the pace is sustainable. Availability becomes expectation, and the pressure compounds.
2. Pressure Without Influence
In many teams, finance is held accountable for outcomes without having any real influence on the plan itself. Forecasts are inherited. Budgets are fixed before Finance even sees them.
That mismatch creates frustration. It’s draining to own the numbers when you had no say in shaping them. Eventually, that disconnect eats away at motivation.
3. Constant Reforecasting
Done well, reforecasting is a powerful strategic tool. But in some businesses, it becomes a cycle of endless reactivity like a hamster wheel - driven more by anxiety than by need.
Teams spend their time tweaking models rather than understanding drivers. It’s mentally exhausting, especially when the inputs are vague and the goalposts keep moving.
The Personal Cost
We measure so much in finance - but we don’t always measure the cost to the people doing the work.
Burnout isn’t just about hours worked. It’s about what those hours take from you.
Energy disappears
Focus fades
Confidence erodes
Health takes a back seat
Personal lives suffer
Sometimes it shows up as exhaustion. Other times, it’s just a slow loss of enthusiasm for work that once felt meaningful. It’s not always dramatic, but it is damaging.
What Needs to Change
Fixing burnout isn’t about yoga sessions or wellness webinars. It’s about designing our teams and cultures differently.
For Leaders:
Make priorities clearer. Focus the team on what matters most, not everything at once.
Empower your team. Don’t just delegate responsibility - give people the space to shape the work.
Build slack into the system. Protect thinking time. Allow space between sprints. Avoid normalising evening and weekend work.
Recognise sustainable performance. Celebrate the planners and problem-solvers, not just the firefighters.
For Individuals:
Know your limits. Protect your energy. Don’t wait for someone else to draw the line.
Push back with evidence. If something doesn’t fit, show the trade-offs. Frame it as a business conversation.
Notice the early signs. If you’re constantly tired, detached, or losing focus, don’t ignore it.
Speak up sooner. Raising concerns isn’t a failure - it’s how problems get fixed.
Final Thought: Catch It Early
Burnout doesn’t always come with a warning sign. Often, it’s just the feeling of running slightly too hard, for slightly too long.
If you’re a finance leader, keep an eye on your team. Create space, not just demands.
If you’re on the front line, check in with yourself. Don’t wait until it feels too late.
And if you’re both (which many of us are) be honest about the pace you’re setting and the example you’re living.
We want people to stay in finance because they love the work - not because they’re too tired to look elsewhere.
Let’s build teams that last. Not just models that work. Share this blog with one colleague or peer - it might help prevent another high performer from burning out.
Curious how much burnout risk you’re facing? You might be surprised at the results. Download the full Burnout Risk Self-Assessment and learn how to recognise the warning signs early.