Evaluation of the Burnout Phenomenon in the Context of Worker Health and the Right to Decent Work

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyse the concept of burnout, which has been studied in different disciplines, from a legal perspective. In this framework, the definition and historical development of the concept will be discussed and its current position in terms of the rules regulating working life in national and international literature will be examined. Although the acceptance of burnout as an occupational disease has not yet found a clear response both in the world and in our country, the employer's obligation to protect the employee requires the protection of not only the physical but also the psychological health of the employee and imposes a responsibility on the employer to take measures in this direction. Based on the fact that burnout can mostly be caused by workplace-related causes, the study focuses on the importance of the prevention of toxic behaviours and negative working conditions in the workplace rather than the measures that can be taken at the individual level for the employee. In this respect, it will be revealed that it will be possible to determine the fault of the employer by examining the workplace conditions in cases of burnout due to workplace-related reasons.