What happens when the people we rely on most reach a point where they simply cannot keep going?
The current AOK Absenteeism Report 2026 shows a significant rise in days lost to mental health conditions. For me, this is a reason to ask a question that receives too little attention in companies: Are our employees really lacking motivation—or have they long since run out of capacity?
Picture an employee who has been covering for a colleague on sick leave for weeks. They take on additional tasks, help their colleagues and try to keep looking after their customers reliably. Their manager asks, “Could you quickly take this on as well?” They say, “Yes, of course.” But inside, they are already thinking, “I am motivated. I just cannot take on any more.”
This misunderstanding is at the heart of my latest press release on openPR. Managers and HR professionals are under pressure too. And that is why another motivational initiative may need to wait until we have had an honest conversation about what is actually possible.
One question can make a real difference: “If you take this on now, what will we leave undone instead?”
In the press article, I explain why we must not overlook our most dependable employees, and why humanity and performance belong together.
Read the full press article on openPR (in German): When dependable employees can no longer cope: Why companies mistake exhaustion for a lack of motivation.
LOOK AGAIN. Take another look.
