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How To Address Workplace Burnout

It may surprise you to know that a recent National Alliance of Mental Illness poll reported that more than half of all American employees are experiencing some form of workplace burnout. While burnout is present across all age groups, an overwhelming percentage (81%) of those in the youngest cohort (18-to-25-year-olds) are experiencing the most burnout. What seems to be the reason for workplace burnout? The following may help explain the causes of this occurrence:

Too much work and too little time to complete it
Not having the right tools and resources to do a good job
Economic instability causing stress among employees worried about job security
Taking on additional responsibility due to inadequate staffing
Chronic job-related stress that is not addressed by management
Feelings of not being valued or rewarded by the organization
Struggling to create work-life balance

Burnout among individual employees may be hard to spot. Depending on the corporate culture, employees may feel uncomfortable discussing being burned out in an environment that does not prioritize mental health. The bottom line is they may fear losing their job. According to the World Health Organization, burnout occurs when job-related stress is no longer manageable by being away from work during weekends and time off.

The key signs

An employee experiencing burnout may appear exhausted, become distant from their colleagues, harbor negative feelings about their work or express feelings of inadequacy. This can lead to absenteeism, tardiness, poor job performance or presenteeism, which places a burden on the rest of the team. In fact, there are physical consequences of burning out, including heart disease, hypertension and headaches. Psychological penalties include depression and insomnia.

How to address this growing issue?

Christina Maslach, who has a doctorate in psychology and is a leading expert on workplace burnout, reports that finding solutions will require a three-pronged approach that involves the company, the employee and then both the company and the employee working together.

Organizations need to take a step back and assess why burnout is occurring through well-designed employee surveys. The surveys need to be taken seriously as a proactive means to prevent burnout before it happens. Part of the assessment is to identify where the stress is coming from and figure out how to mitigate it. Employees need to know what mental health programs are offered by the company and how to access them when needed.
Management training should include how to spot signs of burnout. Workloads and deadlines should be monitored regularly and, where and when appropriate, tasks can be redelegated to other team members. Checking in with workers daily to see that the workload is manageable is something managers can do to keep the team performing with minimum levels of stress.
Employees need to make self-care a priority and take advantage of personal time off to recharge when needed. They need to feel that it’s OK to have downtime from work during vacations, weekends and evenings. Having a social network of colleagues, friends and family is important to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Employers and employees need to foster a healthy working environment of mutual respect and trust where all team members feel that their physical and mental well-being are valued. There should not be any barriers for employees to freely discuss their feelings of stress with higher-ups. The door to the boss’s office or cubicle should always be open. Given the right tools to do their job, along with some autonomy in decision-making, employees experience less on-the-job stress and burnout.

Workplace burnout is on the rise and needs to be addressed by employers. Organizations that have a system for responding to this issue have seen greater employee morale, retention and job satisfaction.

©YC Partners 2026

Key Tax Changes Taking Effect in 2026

Paul Blog planning, Tax

Advance planning starts with understanding new rules before they come into effect. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act introduced a wide range of tax changes, including several provisions that have received relatively little attention but will affect individual and business taxpayers beginning in 2026. What follows is a summary of key changes to be aware of; it is not an exhaustive list.

Filing logistics: Postmarks no longer suffice

One procedural (rather than substantive) change affecting tax filing is that, as of Dec. 24, 2025, the U.S. Postal Service no longer accepts postmarks as date-specific proof of mailing unless an envelope is hand-stamped. If you rely on an April 15 postmark to establish timely filing, you will need to plan ahead and visit a post office during its open hours to request a hand-stamped postmark.

Changes to individual income taxes

The OBBBA made several changes that you as an individual filer should consider in your tax planning.

It permanently extended the 37% top individual federal income tax rate.
Beginning in 2026, it permanently increased the standard deduction to $16,100 for single filers and $32,200 for joint filers and surviving spouses. Taxpayers age 65 and older will be entitled to an additional $6,000 standard deduction through 2028.
It eliminated the personal exemption and miscellaneous itemized deductions.
It introduced a new car loan interest deduction of up to $10,000 for qualifying new vehicles. This deduction can be claimed whether a taxpayer itemizes or claims the standard deduction.
It repealed clean vehicle credits, commonly referred to as electric vehicle tax credits, for EVs acquired after Sept. 30, 2025.
It revised Form 1099-K reporting thresholds. Beginning in 2025, third-party platforms will be required to issue Form 1099-K only when payments exceed $20,000 and involve more than 200 transactions on a single platform in a year. Taxpayers remain responsible for reporting taxable income even if no form is issued.

The OBBBA also introduced two new deductions for wage earners.

While tip income is not fully exempt from tax, taxpayers may deduct up to $25,000 of qualifying tip income.
Overtime compensation is deductible up to $12,500 for single filers and $25,000 for joint filers, with the same income phaseout thresholds.

You may wish to confirm that your employer is accurately accounting for these changes in payroll reporting and withholding.

Charitable deductions

Beginning in 2026, if you itemize, you may deduct charitable cash contributions only to the extent that they exceed 0.5% of your adjusted gross income. Contributions below that threshold are generally nondeductible. Contributions that exceed applicable AGI limits remain subject to existing carryforward rules, and the 60% AGI cap for cash contributions continues to apply.

Additionally, the OBBBA introduced a new above-the-line charitable deduction of up to $1,000 for single filers and $2,000 for joint filers. If you are in the 37% tax bracket, the value of charitable deductions is capped at 35%.

Estate planning and wealth transfer

Effective Jan. 1, 2026, the OBBBA increases the federal estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax exclusion to $15 million for individuals and $30 million for married couples. These higher thresholds have significant implications for estate planning and lifetime gifting strategies.

Qualified small-business stock

The OBBBA expanded the benefits available under the qualified small-business stock rules for shares issued after July 4, 2025. Changes include a new tiered exclusion system if you do not meet the five-year holding period, an increase in the capital gains exclusion cap from $10 million to $15 million (or 10 times basis) and an increase in the gross assets limit from $50 million to $75 million.

Shares issued before July 4, 2025, remain subject to the rules in effect prior to the enactment of the OBBBA.

Energy-related credits and deductions

The OBBBA significantly narrowed the availability of several clean energy incentives. For wind and solar projects, construction must begin on or before July 4, 2026, to qualify under current law. Projects that begin construction after that date must be placed in service by the end of 2027. Other technologies, including geothermal, nuclear and hydrogen, have longer timelines but begin to phase out in 2034.

The OBBBA maintains through 2032 the zero-emission nuclear power production credit for electricity generated at qualifying nuclear facilities that were placed in service before Aug. 4 (or possibly Aug. 16), 2022.

The clean production fuel credit for certain transportation fuels and sustainable aviation fuel remains available through 2029 but is subject to stricter sourcing rules and tightened eligibility requirements. Given the pace of regulatory change, affected businesses should monitor guidance closely, particularly as it relates to supply chains.

The OBBBA terminated the deduction for energy-efficient commercial building improvements, such as lighting and HVAC systems, for construction that begins after June 30, 2026.

The OBBBA also introduced new restrictions on foreign involvement in clean energy projects, affecting specified foreign entities, foreign-influenced entities and projects receiving material assistance from prohibited foreign entities. The Treasury Department is required to issue guidance by Dec. 31, 2026, to clarify how these rules apply.

State and local tax deduction limit

The OBBBA increased the state and local tax deduction cap from $10,000 to $40,000 for tax years 2025 through 2029. Higher-income taxpayers begin phasing out of this benefit at $250,000 of AGI for single filers and $500,000 for joint filers, with the deduction fully phased out at higher income levels. Absent further legislative action, the cap is scheduled to revert to $10,000 after the temporary increase expires.

Final considerations

This article highlights selected changes under the OBBBA but does not capture every provision or extension. Taxpayers — both individuals and businesses — should consult a qualified tax adviser to ensure their planning strategies are both compliant and effective. The legislation provides greater certainty in some areas, but it is important to keep in mind that certain provisions under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 were not extended, additional guidance and regulations will continue to be issued, and future legislation could alter even provisions described as permanent.

Old way or new way (in yellow) roadmarking

Small Business Webinar Series

Paul Blog Small Business, Strategy

Learn practical financial insights to grow and strengthen your business.

This free webinar series is designed for small business owners who want to better understand the financial drivers of value, growth, and decision-making. Each session runs 30 minutes, followed by up to 15 minutes of live Q&A. Gain clear, actionable knowledge you can apply immediately to strengthen your operations and improve long-term business success.

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Remote Work Policies Built for Success

Paul Blog Employees, Staffing

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than one-third of American workers performed some of or all their work from home. There is no question that remote work will continue to be an option for many. With that said, it is important for organizations that offer this to have a firm policy in place. If companies have learned anything from the pandemic it is that they need to be prepared for the unexpected. Employees need to be able to conduct business wherever they may be.

Hiring managers have found that job candidates are keenly interested in flexible work options. Clearly, employers that offer flexibility have a competitive edge in attracting and retaining talent. Your company will need to have a well-conceived hybrid work policy in place that addresses your organization’s expectations for employees. Here are several elements you will need to build into your own policy:

An arrangement between the employee and the manager needs to be spelled out in terms of the structure of working remotely. First, decide whether all employees are eligible for this arrangement or whether there will be requirements. Since employees need to be accountable for getting their work done, you may only want to extend the offer to those who have proven themselves to be trustworthy and have good time management skills.
Accountability is an important element of a successful policy. You will need to create a work schedule that your employee can adhere to. It may be difficult for managers to track their employees during the day. The answer to that is employee monitoring software to take the guesswork out of how productive employees are. These programs can track work productivity and duration by the hour, day or month. It is a helpful tool in assessing which employees are going above and beyond their scheduled hours when deciding on compensation and promotions.
Excellent communication is also a factor in managing a remote team. Team members working from home may feel isolated from their colleagues. Decide what the best way is to communicate with your employees and vice versa. It’s one thing to walk down the hall to ask a question and another thing to not have access to a manager when needed. It is important for the manager to have regular one-on-one check-ins with their staff regardless of whether they are remote or on-site. Remote workers can feel connected to the rest of the team through video calls, shared documents, project management platforms and other collaborative tools.

Offering employees the opportunity to work remotely is a benefit that provides a competitive edge to employers. In order for this work arrangement to succeed, employers will need to invest time in creating a thoughtful policy that meets the expectations of all.