What causes employee disengagement at work? What are its consequences? What is the cost of a disengaged employee? How should managers handle demotivation in their team? And what can employees do when they are affected themselves? This article offers concrete advice for maintaining, or rediscovering, professional motivation, and for preventing disengagement in the workplace.
"I've lost motivation at work."
This may sound like a common complaint, but it is anything but trivial. When workplace disengagement runs deep and persists over time, it can have real consequences. Both on employees' mental health and on their productivity.
From a passing slump to full-blown, deeply rooted demotivation, there are countless possible causes of disengagement at work. What can be done when motivation is absent — or has simply disappeared — and professional disengagement becomes too heavy to carry? Addressing this question is a shared responsibility: it falls on both the employee and the employer.
Disengagement can be an early warning sign
Anticipating and acting with the right tools can make all the difference in preserving your team's well-being and engagement.
Talk to our expertsWhat is professional disengagement?
Professional disengagement can be defined as a loss of desire and sense of purpose at work, as experienced by an employee. It is also referred to as "disengagement." In such cases, the employee no longer feels motivated to carry out their responsibilities or invest themselves in their day-to-day professional life.
Organizations have every reason to monitor disengagement closely, as it directly impacts key priorities such as quality of work life, evolving ways of working, employee retention, and overall engagement.
The issue of disengagement is all the more important given that improving the employee experience has a direct impact on the customer experience. In its study 'Investment Trends and Priorities for Decision-Makers Through 2026', published in September 2024, Exaegis Markess indicates that the latter is considered a priority for 54% of companies surveyed in the study.
To go further: Explore SIGMA-HR's talent management suite.
What are the possible causes of professional disengagement?
A deep loss of motivation in an employee can be caused by several factors:
- Boredom and a lack of enjoyment in their day-to-day work (too much desk-based work, not enough hands-on tasks, for example),
- A lack of meaning,
- A lack of recognition,
- A lack of fairness,
- An unmanageable workload,
- No opportunities for growth or career development,
- An absence of training, or training that feels imposed or irrelevant,
- Etc.
In many cases, workplace disengagement is the result of a combination of factors. This is what Camille, a communications officer in the social services sector*, explains:
"The workload is poorly distributed across my team. Management is 'passive' and keeps everyone's responsibilities vague. I also feel that my professional expertise is not recognized at its fair value — neither in terms of salary nor within the organizational hierarchy. My requests for training go unheard and my skills have stagnated. The training I am offered doesn't match my role. As a result, I have no prospects for professional growth and I feel deeply bored every single day."
*Name has been changed.
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Learn moreWhat are the consequences of disengagement at work?
Deterioration of employee mental health
Professional disengagement affects employees' mental health. Its consequences can be numerous, including:
- Loss of self-esteem and self-confidence,
- Frustration,
- Stress,
- Etc.
"Demotivation creates a great deal of stress and can lead employees to seriously question themselves. It can significantly affect their mental health, and they may end up withdrawing into themselves," explains Alexandra Ridoux, professional coach, who adds: "Professional disengagement leads to a decline in self-esteem that can escalate into depression or burnout, particularly when the situation involves a heavy workload."
Decline in productivity
Disengaged employees tend to take less initiative.
With more frequent delays or absences and unmet objectives, organizations may experience a drop in engagement and productivity that can hurt performance and workplace climate. Disengagement is generally contagious within teams.
Financial consequences
What is the cost of employee disengagement?
According to Gallup's State of the Global Workplace 2024 report, disengaged employees cost the global economy $8.9 trillion, the equivalent to 9% of global GDP.
In Canada specifically, burnout alone costs employers between $5,500 and $28,500 per employee annually, according to Mental Health Research Canada's Mental Health in the Workplace 2025 report.
Damage to employer brand
As a knock-on effect, workplace disengagement can harm an organization's employer brand. Before applying for a role, candidates increasingly research a company's workplace culture. A disengaged employee can quickly damage their organization's external reputation. Given the recruitment and retention challenges organizations are currently facing, the question of employee (dis)engagement must not be overlooked — it is a core component of the overall employee experience.
Read more: Strategies and key metrics to measure your employer brand
How to identify and measure workplace disengagement ?
Disengagement and mental health: key statistics
Gallup's State of the Global Workplace 2024 report highlights significant regional differences in employee engagement.
The United States and Canada have an engagement rate of 33% and a disengagement rate of 51%.
For context, some European countries report far lower engagement levels — France, for instance, has only 7% of engaged employees.
In Canada, nearly 39% of employees report feeling burnt out, a figure that has been steadily rising since 2023, according to Mental Health Research Canada's Mental Health in the Workplace 2025 report.
Over 70% of Canadian workers report that their job negatively affects their mental health, with workload consistently cited as the primary driver of stress.
What are the signs and indicators of disengagement?
"I feel like I'm not giving my best. Like I'm not in the right place."
These are the words Alexandra Ridoux often hears when working with disengaged individuals. Withdrawal, reduced interactions with colleagues, lack of involvement in team life. These signs can indicate deep workplace disengagement.
At the organizational level, various indicators can serve as early warning signals: absenteeism, tardiness, turnover, and more. Tracking these indicators is made easier when an organization has a strong level of HR digitalization maturity. Recruitment difficulties, deteriorating workplace relationships, and declining productivity can also alert organizations to a drop in employee motivation.
How can professional motivation be maintained or rediscovered?
Going back to the fundamentals of motivation
For François Pellerin, associate researcher at the "Futures of Industry and Work" chair at Mines Paris-PSL, intrinsic motivation, doing something interesting and enjoyable, rests on four pillars:
- Autonomy,
- Mastery of skills or the development of new ones,
- Meaning (alignment between one's values and actions),
- The quality of relationships within a group (the collective dimension).
What do employees say?
For Camille, "professional motivation comes through recognition from the organization. I would like to be able to attend training that matches the challenges of my role, and to be fully recognized for my responsibilities and professional capabilities. Beyond words and encouragement, I would like recognition from a salary and hierarchical standpoint. This fairer treatment could greatly improve the working climate within my team."
How to motivate employees ?
Tip #1: Implement follow-up plans
- Regular check-ins (weekly, quarterly. Don't wait for the annual review)
- Foster a feedback culture (from employee to manager and vice versa)
Tip #2: Work on recognition
- Don't focus solely on challenges and difficulties
- Highlight strengths and achievements over a given period
Tip #3: Consider growth opportunities
- Suggest training aligned with employees' interests and goals
- Offer new responsibilities and assignments
- Support employees who wish to explore internal mobility
Tip #4: Cultivate a stimulating work environment
- Improve work-life balance
- Involve employees in setting their own objectives
Tip #5: Develop intrapreneurship
- Encourage and value initiative
- Allow employees to develop innovative projects during work hours
Read more: How will HR jobs evolve by 2030 ?
Sharing responsibility between employees and managers
As Alexandra Ridoux explains, "managers and employees both have a responsibility to get out of this situation, and above all they need to talk to each other."
Disengaged employee
- Dare to speak up about their situation and open a dialogue with their manager
- Be transparent about the causes and contributing factors of their disengagement
- Suggest changes to their manager (e.g., training, new assignments)
Manager
- Know how to recognize the signs of employee disengagement
- Adopt a listening posture
- Understand what is wrong and look for the root causes of the employee's disengagement
- Respond to the employee's needs and expectations (e.g., create more meaning, introduce new challenges)
- Support the employee toward mobility (internal or external) if they wish to pursue it
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