Recent reporting on Amazon highlights the real cost of turnover at scale. Estimates suggest the company has spent billions annually managing employee churn, driven in part by high attrition in frontline roles. With whole departments at Amazon dedicated to monitoring employee attrition the conclusions were almost always the same: poor fit due to the employee discovering he/she didn’t actually enjoy the work once they were in it or personal reasons no one could have foreseen. However the article concludes something different: the early career employee departures were actually due to burnout.

While most small and mid-sized businesses are not operating at that level, the underlying issue is highly relevant: when employees leave early in their tenure, the financial and operational impact adds up quickly.

Employee burnout is no longer limited to long-tenured staff—it’s increasingly showing up within the first few months of employment. For many organizations, especially small and mid-sized businesses, this creates a costly cycle of early turnover and repeated hiring.

Recent workforce data highlights the scale of the issue. According to Gallup, only about 20% of employees globally are engaged at work, while engagement levels in the U.S. have fallen to a multi-year low. At the same time, studies from BambooHR indicate that employees experiencing burnout are nearly three times more likely to be actively job searching. Burnout itself is widespread. Research compiled by Mercer and other workforce analysts suggests that more than half of employees report experiencing burnout, with even higher risk levels among younger and early-career workers.

Why This Matters for Employers

For PEO clients and growing businesses, early turnover hits harder. Replacing an employee requires time, resources, and productivity tradeoffs that smaller teams feel immediately. While large organizations may absorb these disruptions, small to medium businesses (SMBs) often experience a direct impact on operations and team morale.

Burnout is often driven by workplace conditions rather than individual resilience. Research in occupational health consistently links burnout to factors such as limited managerial support, unclear expectations, and lack of resources. You can explore one such study published in BMC Public Health here.

Cost of Employee Attrition

Employee turnover carries both direct and indirect costs that can quickly impact business operations—especially for small and mid-sized organizations.

Industry estimates suggest the cost to replace an employee can range from 30% to 200% of their annual salary, depending on the role and level of specialization. For example, losing a $60,000 employee could cost anywhere from $18,000 to $120,000 when factoring in all associated expenses. For PEO clients and growing businesses, these costs are often felt more immediately due to leaner teams and fewer resources to absorb disruption.

Connecting Burnout to Turnover

The relationship between burnout and turnover is direct. Employees who feel overwhelmed or disconnected early in their tenure are far more likely to disengage, underperform, or exit altogether. This is particularly important during onboarding, where the employee experience sets the foundation for long-term retention. For employers, the takeaway is clear: burnout is not just a wellness issue—it’s a measurable business risk tied to retention, productivity, and cost.

What Employers Can Do

Organizations that successfully reduce early burnout tend to focus on a few key areas:

These steps are especially valuable for SMBs that rely on lean teams and need employees to ramp effectively without becoming overwhelmed.

The Bottom Line

Burnout is increasingly impacting employees earlier in their careers—and organizations that fail to address it risk higher turnover and unnecessary costs. By strengthening onboarding and focusing on early engagement, employers can improve retention outcomes and build a more stable workforce from day one.

Small business owners seeking financing through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 7(a) loan program may already be feeling the effects of an important policy change that took effect on March 1, 2026.

Because many employers may not yet be aware of the update, this serves as a helpful FYI for businesses that could pursue financing in the future.

According to updates contained in the SBA’s revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) 50 10 8, lenders are now expected to conduct a more detailed manual review of a business’s commercial credit profile rather than relying primarily on the SBA’s previous automated scoring process. For official SBA guidance and lending resources, employers can visit U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

What Changed?

Previously, many SBA lenders relied heavily on the SBA’s Small Business Scoring Service (SBSS), which generated an automated score used to quickly evaluate smaller loan applications. Under the revised process:

• Lenders now perform a more comprehensive commercial credit analysis

• Greater attention is placed on the accuracy and completeness of business credit profiles

• Lenders are expected to review business financial documentation more closely

• Commercial credit bureau data plays a larger role in underwriting decisions

In practical terms, this means business owners may need to be more proactive about monitoring and maintaining their company’s business credit records before applying for financing.

The Three Major Business Credit Bureaus

The lending review process commonly involves data from three major commercial credit reporting agencies: Dun & Bradstreet, Equifax and Experian.

These organizations maintain separate business credit files that lenders may use to evaluate payment history, commercial trade line activity (e.g., credit accounts reported on a business’s credit profile and the payment history associated with those accounts), business identity verification, public records, risk indicators and financial stability metrics.

Many small business owners regularly monitor personal credit but have never reviewed their business credit profiles. Under the newer SBA lending framework, that oversight could create unexpected challenges during the underwriting process.

Why This Matters for Employers

Access to financing can directly impact a company’s ability to:

• Hire employees

• Expand operations

• Purchase equipment

• Manage cash flow

• Open new locations

• Invest in employee programs or infrastructure

  
  

For small and mid-sized employers, stronger financial documentation and organized business records may now play an even bigger role in obtaining growth capital.

Businesses with incomplete records, inconsistent filings, or outdated information across government registrations and credit bureaus could experience delays or additional scrutiny during the loan review process.

Additional Underwriting Factors

The updated SBA guidance also emphasizes several operational and financial review areas, including:

• Debt service coverage ratios

• Business cash flow analysis

• Commercial bank statements

• Earnings projections

• Verification of business operations

• Broader commercial credit review standards

  
  

In addition, lenders may apply internal underwriting models that go beyond consumer credit scores alone. For example under the SBA’s updated lending review process, lenders may look beyond a simple automated score and review the underlying commercial credit details directly.

That means the quality and consistency of commercial trade line activity may carry greater weight during underwriting.

Businesses that have never established commercial trade lines — or that rely solely on the owner’s personal credit — may find it harder to demonstrate business creditworthiness to lenders.

Examples of commercial trade line accounts may include office supply accounts, equipment financing, fuel cards, vendor payment accounts, and business credit cards. Lenders often review trade line activity to evaluate:

• Whether the business pays bills on time

• Length of payment history

• Number of active credit relationships

• Credit utilization

• Past delinquencies or collections

• Overall financial stability

About SBA’s 7(a) Loan Program

In Fiscal Year 2025, the SBA’s 7(a) loan program approved approximately 77,600 loans totaling about $37 billion in financing for small businesses.

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), FY2025 was a record-setting year for SBA-backed lending overall. Additional official SBA lending data is available through the SBA Open Data Portal.

For comparison:

• FY2024 7(a) lending totaled about $31.1 billion

• FY2023 totaled about $27.5 billion

  
  

The SBA 7(a) program is the agency’s primary general-purpose business loan program and is commonly used for working capital, business acquisitions, equipment purchases, commercial real estate, refinancing debt, expansion and hiring initiatives.

Action Steps for Small Business Owners

Employers who may seek financing in the future may want to consider the following proactive steps:

1. Review business credit reports from all three major bureaus

2. Verify that business registrations and tax information are current

3. Confirm trade lines and payment histories are accurate

4. Maintain organized financial statements and bank records

5. Monitor cash flow trends and debt obligations

6. Address discrepancies before beginning a loan application

   
   

Final Thoughts

While the SBA’s updated lending procedures officially became effective on March 1, 2026, many business owners are only now learning about the operational impact of the change.

For employers considering future expansion, acquisitions, hiring initiatives, or other growth plans that may require financing, this may be a good time to evaluate the strength and accuracy of the company’s commercial credit profile and financial documentation.

Additional SBA loan program information and guidance can be found at SBA 7(a) Loan Program Information.

When employees face a serious medical condition, the challenges often extend far beyond physical symptoms. A chronic illness, difficult diagnosis, pregnancy complication, or ongoing pain condition can also affect emotional well-being, stress levels, sleep, family relationships, and job performance. Increasingly, healthcare providers and employers are recognizing that supporting both mental and physical health together can lead to better outcomes for employees and organizations alike. This “whole-person health” approach focuses on integrating medical care with behavioral and mental health support so employees receive coordinated care instead of navigating separate systems on their own.

What Is Whole-Person Health?

Whole-person health is a healthcare approach that considers the connection between physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Rather than treating symptoms in isolation, providers work to understand how different aspects of a person’s health interact. For example:

· An employee managing diabetes may also struggle with stress or depression that affects medication adherence.

· Someone recovering from surgery may experience anxiety about returning to work.

· New parents may face postpartum mental health challenges alongside physical recovery.

· Employees coping with chronic pain may experience sleep disruption, emotional fatigue, or burnout.

Research continues to show that mental and physical health are closely linked. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mental health conditions can increase the risk for physical health problems, while chronic medical conditions can also increase the risk for poor mental health.

Why Integrated Care Matters

Traditionally, medical care and mental health care have often operated separately. Employees may need to locate different providers, manage multiple appointments, and coordinate information between specialists themselves.

Integrated care models attempt to reduce these gaps by coordinating support across medical, behavioral, and pharmacy services. In many cases, employees may work with a care coordinator or navigator who helps connect them with appropriate resources, providers, and follow-up care. Potential benefits of integrated care include:

· Faster access to mental health services

· Improved communication among providers

· Better treatment adherence

· Reduced employee stress during medical events

· Earlier identification of emotional health concerns

· Improved engagement in care plans

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) notesCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that addressing mental health early can improve overall health outcomes and quality of life.

Supporting Employees with Chronic Conditions

Chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and chronic pain affect millions of working adults. These conditions frequently require ongoing treatment, lifestyle adjustments, and long-term management.

At the same time, employees managing chronic illnesses may experience:

· Anxiety about their health

· Emotional exhaustion

· Financial stress from medical costs

· Difficulty balancing work and treatment

· Depression related to pain or limitations

Integrated care programs may provide employees with access to therapy, care management, wellness coaching, or virtual behavioral health services alongside their medical treatment. This coordinated support can help employees remain engaged in both their health and workplace responsibilities.

The American Psychological Association (APA) explains that chronic illness and mental health are deeply interconnected, and emotional support can play an important role in long-term disease management.

The Financial Stress of Healthcare in 2026

Healthcare affordability has become one of the leading employee concerns in 2026, especially as prescription drug costs continue to rise. Rising deductibles, copays, prescription costs, and out-of-pocket expenses continue to impact employee well-being. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) 2025 Employer Health Benefits Survey:

· The average annual deductible for employer-sponsored health insurance was approximately $1,886 for employees enrolled in single coverage plans with deductibles.

· Employees working for smaller employers often face even higher deductibles, averaging more than $2,600 annually.

These rising healthcare costs can contribute to delayed medical care, skipping preventive services, financial anxiety and increased workplace stress.

Top Employee Medical Care Stressors in 2026

Below are leading healthcare-related stressors affecting employees in 2026:

Women’s Health and Mental Well-Being

Women’s health journeys often involve significant physical and emotional changes throughout different stages of life. Pregnancy, fertility treatment, caregiving responsibilities, postpartum recovery, and menopause can all impact both physical and mental health. Integrated care models may help by:

· Screening for emotional health concerns earlier

· Coordinating support between medical and behavioral providers

· Providing access to counseling or virtual mental health services

· Offering personalized guidance during major life events

The Office on Women’s Health (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services) emphasizes the importance of recognizing mental health as a key component of women’s overall health and wellness.

The Growing Role of Virtual Mental Health Services

One major shift in healthcare over the past several years has been the expansion of virtual care options. Telehealth and virtual therapy appointments can help employees access support more quickly and conveniently, especially for those in rural areas or with demanding work schedules. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), virtual mental health services can improve access to care and reduce barriers that may prevent employees from seeking help. Employees should also remember that many medical plans now include behavioral health resources, Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), telehealth services, or mental health provider networks through their healthcare carrier or medical provider.

Encouraging Employees to Seek Support

Many employees delay seeking mental health support because of stigma, uncertainty, or lack of awareness about available resources. Employers can help foster a healthier workplace culture by:

· Promoting available medical and behavioral health benefits

· Encouraging employees to use preventive care resources

· Normalizing conversations around mental health

· Training managers to recognize signs of stress or burnout

· Sharing information about EAPs and telehealth programs

Employees experiencing ongoing stress, anxiety, depression, or emotional difficulties should consider speaking with their physician, healthcare provider, or licensed mental health professional. Early support can often make a meaningful difference.

Final Thoughts

Healthcare works best when it treats the whole person — not just a diagnosis or symptom. As more healthcare providers integrate medical and mental health services, employees may find it easier to access coordinated, compassionate support during some of life’s most difficult moments. Whether managing a chronic condition, recovering from a major medical event, or navigating everyday stress, employees should remember that both physical and emotional health matter. Speaking with a healthcare provider about available medical and behavioral health resources can be an important first step toward better overall well-being.