Claromentis in Charity Today: Avoiding Third-Sector Burnout With Smarter Tech

Key Takeaways

Our Chief Information Officer, Will Emmerson, was recently featured in Charity Today with a piece on burnout in the third sector. His argument? Technology shouldn't just make charities more efficient. It should make work more sustainable for the people doing it.

Burnout has become an operational risk

Charity work is some of the most rewarding work you can do. But, it doesn’t mean it’s easy.

Caseworkers often finish a day of emotionally demanding frontline work only to start a second shift. And a good amount of that is spent chasing approvals, compiling reports, and wrestling with systems that don't talk to each other.

It's taking a toll. Nearly 90% of charity leaders now see burnout in their teams, and many are worried about their own resilience too.

The impact shows up everywhere. Absenteeism, project delays, staff turnover, and higher recruitment costs. All within organizations that are already stretched thin.

Mission and methods are pulling in different directions

People join the charity sector to make a difference. But too often, the working day gets swallowed up by coordination and compliance, meaning that:

• Staff jump between multiple systems just to complete a single task.
• Email becomes the default tool for approvals, updates, and document sharing.
• Reporting requirements generate a constant stream of paperwork.

Over time, that gap between why people joined and what they actually spend their time doing shows up in classic burnout symptoms like exhaustion, detachment, and a shrinking sense of purpose and achievement.

Technology can help, but only if it's used differently

In his article, Will argues that traditional wellbeing programs, like counselling and resilience workshops, have value.

But they can't compensate for poorly designed workflows. After all, it’s hard to be mindful when you’re being crushed by the daily grind.

The next phase of digital transformation in charities should focus on using technology to ease the pressures that cause burnout in the first place.

That means:

• Automating repetitive, low-value tasks so staff can focus on mission-critical work
• Using generative AI as a drafting assistant, with proper governance in place
• Moving away from fragmented toolsets towards a single digital workplace
• Building recognition into everyday workflows so effort is consistently seen

Choose mission over madness

In a sector where demand almost always outpaces resources, protecting staff is more than your duty of care. It’s a strategic imperative.

Charities that use technology to redesign work, rather than just digitize existing pain points, will be better placed to sustain their people, their programs, and ultimately their mission.

Read Will's full article on the Charity Today website.

Employees burned out? Reignite their spark with Claromentis

If your team is spending more time on admin than on the work that matters, we should talk. Book a discovery call and we'll show you how a unified digital workplace can ease the pressure.