When we discuss burnout, we often envision office workers glued to screens, overwhelmed by emails. However, burnout doesn’t just exist in cubicles; it is also prevalent on job sites, rigs, and refineries. And for the men working grueling shifts in construction, oil and gas, and manufacturing, burnout takes a different form and hits harder.

Burnout in the Field Isn’t Just Fatigue. It’s Risk.

I remember it vividly; working in the oil and gas industry, I watched my team put in more than 16 hours a day, sometimes up to 22-hour days. They were tough, capable, and committed. But behind the grit, I saw the signs:

• Glazed-over eyes from too many sleepless nights

• Quiet confessions that they hadn’t seen their kids in a week

• Jokes so dark they bordered on despair

• Wives calling them upset they missed another dinner or ballgame… while they carried the weight of the mortgage on their backs

I kept coffee brewing all night and offered to drive them home when I could, terrified someone would fall asleep behind the wheel. These weren’t lazy workers; they were overworked humans trying to hold it all together. And they were falling apart quietly, in plain sight.

The Real Cost: Safety, Turnover, and Human Life

Burnout isn’t just a wellness issue; it’s a workplace hazard. Let’s look at the numbers:

• Men in construction are at the highest risk of suicide in the U.S., according to the CDC.

• Burnout leads to a 23% higher risk of mistakes and accidents on the job.

• Companies lose $322 billion globally every year due to burnout-related turnover and lost productivity.

• In male-dominated industries, mental health challenges often go unspoken until they show up as absenteeism, substance use, or tragedy.

When burnout goes unchecked, the fallout isn’t just personal. It affects operations, retention, and safety in ways that are preventable, but only if leadership is willing to look deeper.

How Burnout Shows Up Differently in Men

For many men, burnout doesn’t look like tears. It looks like:

• Withdrawing from family and co-workers

• Overworking to the point of physical breakdown

• Explosive anger or irritability over small things

• Numbing out with alcohol, substances, or scrolling

• Dark humor masking deep fear or shame

Most don’t say “I’m struggling.” They say, “I’m just tired.” But when that tiredness never goes away, it’s a warning sign, not a badge of honor.

What Can Leaders Do?

If you're in HR, safety, or operations, you might feel like this isn’t your lane, but it is. Because when your people are burned out, your business suffers. And when your men feel like they can’t talk about it, they suffer in silence.

Here’s where to start:

• Add burnout training to safety meetings—because this is a safety issue

• Normalize talking about mental health—especially among managers and crew leads

• Create space for recovery—even a 15-minute break without pressure can make a difference

• Equip supervisors with simple tools to spot warning signs early and respond with empathy

Burnout doesn’t just cost dollars; it costs lives, marriages, and self-worth. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Final Word from the Field

The men I worked alongside in oil and gas weren’t weak; they were warriors. But even warriors need rest. Even the toughest men hit a breaking point. And when leadership ignores burnout, everyone pays the price.

 I’ve seen it up close, men who were great at their jobs but completely drained inside. I’ve watched them turn to alcohol and drugs to cope. I’ve seen marriages fall apart because their wives felt abandoned while they were just trying to keep food on the table. I’ve witnessed the damage of silence, the pain behind the jokes, and the resignation in their eyes when they said, “I don’t have a choice.”

It’s heartbreaking. And it’s preventable if companies stop throwing Band-Aids at the problem. Yoga, breathing apps, and one more feel-good "toolbox talk" won’t cut it. These men need leaders who see them, support them, and are willing to invest in real, proven strategies for well-being.

That’s the mission of Life Force Wellness. We help train leaders and frontline managers to spot the warning signs of burnout, understand the dangers of fatigue on the job site, and respond with practical protocols for suicide prevention, stress recovery, and mental resilience.

Let’s stop rewarding burnout and start protecting the men who carry the weight of our industries on their backs.

To learn more or bring this training to your team, visit: www.lifeforcewellness.com