The '80s generation

Pan Jidong has another theory. A certified EPA lecturer, Pan believes it is because they fail to make peace with themselves.

He claims that employees born during and after 1980s, the products of China's one-child policy, are generally more pampered by parents and grandparents.

They are the ones who are more likely to suffer burnout.

That is because they cannot reconcile the treatment at home with the treatment at work and when success is not theirs, they feel thwarted.

The evolving social and employment scene also opens up too many options. This may lead to an indecisiveness that may ultimately cost these young executives the competitive edge.

Pan recalled that just a decade ago when he was a senior manager at a state-owned company in Shanghai, young people appreciated their jobs more.

"They were worried, but also full of expectations," he says.

Pan lectures to help young entrants to the market realize their full potential and face the reality of knowing that success takes hard work, something that cannot be taken for granted, and does not happen overnight.

Zheng Huahui, general manager of Beijing EAP Consulting, says companies are increasingly aware of work wellness in the wake of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, the recent serial suicides at the Foxconn factory and a government push for better mental health facilities for employees.

He says there is a danger period for employees who have worked between 6 to 18 months -- when the novelty of the new job has worn off and the responsibilities start piling up.

(China Daily September 26, 2010)