Managing Mental Health in Call Centres: Strategies to Reduce Stress & Burnout

A typical day for many call centre employees involves handling an overwhelming volume of customer interactions - often exceeding 100 calls - with many of those conversations centring around complaints, escalations, or frustrated clients.

This constant exposure to high-stress interactions, combined with performance pressure and minimal recovery time, creates a work environment where emotional exhaustion is common.

These experiences are not isolated incidents. Across BPOs and call centres, this level of intensity is standard. And while the industry is driven by performance and efficiency, the mental health consequences of such a demanding environment can no longer be ignored.

The Mental Health Cost of Call Centre Work

Call centre burnout is no longer just an HR buzzword - it’s a daily reality. The call centre mental health crisis is rising, and it's impacting everything from productivity to attrition. According to Invoca, up to 74% of call centre agents are at risk of burnout, and 62% report chronic stress-related symptoms.

Let’s face it - working in a call centre can be brutal:

• Constant monitoring and surveillance
• Performance tied to rigid KPIs like Average Handling Time and Call Resolution
• Dealing with irate customers, often without the tools or authority to help them
• Night shifts, time zone mismatches, and social isolation

The call centre stress cycle is relentless. And it doesn’t just affect individual employees - it hits team morale, business performance, and reputation.

What Are the Common Causes of Stress in Call Centres?

1. High Workload and Call Volumes
   Agents are often expected to handle dozens of calls a day with little downtime. This pace, when sustained over months or years, takes a toll on emotional resilience.
2. Lack of Autonomy
   Many agents feel like cogs in a machine. With tightly scripted dialogues and no room for decision-making, their roles can feel monotonous and powerless.
3. Poor Work-Life Balance
   Night shifts, weekend work, and unpredictable rosters mean many struggle to maintain relationships or engage in restorative activities outside work.
4. Negative Customer Interactions
   Verbal abuse, customer dissatisfaction, and dealing with complaints daily creates emotional exhaustion.
5. Limited Mental Health Support
   Very few centres have built-in systems that support BPO mental health proactively. When mental health support is reactive or absent, issues escalate.

How Does Burnout Affect Call Centre Agents?

Burnout is more than tiredness. It’s emotional depletion, detachment from work, and a growing sense of helplessness. For call centre burnout, this often shows up as:

• Irritability and disengagement
• Reduced empathy towards customers
• Frequent absenteeism or tardiness
• Decline in performance and increased errors
• Higher attrition rates

Agents experiencing burnout might still show up - but they’re no longer present. And when your business depends on human connection, that absence is deeply felt.

Recognising the Signs: Mental Health Struggles in Call Centre Employees

Managers often miss the early signs. But paying attention can make a difference. Watch for:

• Sudden drops in performance
• Withdrawal from team communication
• Physical complaints like headaches or insomnia
• Low morale or motivation
• Cynicism and apathy

Spotting these early allows for quicker intervention - and possibly prevents long-term harm.

Hope on the Horizon - What Can Be Done?

Change is possible. Many BPO mental health leaders are now adopting proactive strategies to support their teams. Here are four key actions that make a difference:

Strengthen Mental Health Awareness and Training

Equip both agents and managers with practical tools to identify, address, and discuss mental health. Incorporate this into onboarding, leadership development, and ongoing education.

Enable More Flexible Work Structures

Offer agents increased control over their schedules. Rotate shifts, provide time-off-in-lieu options, and avoid clustering high-intensity workdays.

Prioritise Support Systems and Resources

Invest in mental health programmes such as counselling, mindfulness training, and digital wellness tools. Services like TWSI Wellbeing can offer scalable, discreet support options.

Foster a Culture of Psychological Safety

Encourage open conversations around wellbeing. Design systems and policies that reduce micromanagement and support authentic feedback, empathy, and recognition.

What Policies Can BPO Companies Implement?

Here are five powerful, practical policies:

• Mental Health Days separate from sick leave
• Quarterly anonymous wellbeing check-ins to identify stress trends
• Manager mental health coaching
• Clear escalation channels for burnout-related concerns
• Peer support groups or buddy systems

When leadership walks the talk, real cultural change begins.

FAQs

What are the common causes of stress in call centres?
High call volumes, difficult customers, micromanagement, poor work-life balance, and lack of mental health support.

How does burnout affect call centre agents?
Burnout can lead to emotional exhaustion, reduced performance, detachment from work, and higher turnover.

What are the signs of mental health struggles in call centre employees?
Changes in mood, performance dips, frequent sick days, low motivation, and physical complaints.

How can call centres reduce stress for their employees?
By offering flexible schedules, mental health education, professional support, recognition beyond KPIs, and creating psychological safety.

What policies can BPO companies implement to support employee mental health?
Mental health days, wellbeing surveys, training for managers, escalation channels, and peer support initiatives.