Decision overload is real. Some estimates suggest the average American adult makes up to 35,000 decisions every day.1 When those choices accumulate in the workplace, especially when leaders are expected to contend with disconnected systems, this overload can cause what’s commonly called “decision fatigue.”
“Decision fatigue is a psychological phenomenon that happens when we have the cognitive load of making decisions over and over again throughout the day,” explained leadership psychologist and founder of Sharp Brain Consulting Dr. Jessica Sharp in a recent webinar. Multiple small decisions compound, and when it comes to making significant, strategic decisions, our brains are too mentally exhausted to make rational choices. Over time, this can erode professionals’ confidence, leading to leadership burnout and negatively affecting a company’s bottom line.
But there are ways to prevent decision fatigue, thereby supporting staff and, ultimately, improving business productivity. According to Sharp, “The best way to combat decision fatigue is to get tech that works for your employees, not to have your employees work for tech.”
Why decision fatigue causes leadership burnout
Decision fatigue plays out in numerous ways across the workplace, but a good illustration of its impact is something as simple as employee requests for time off.
“It sounds insignificant, but the volume of requests leaders receive can be relentless, especially during peak months, such as the summer and holiday times,” said Tiffany McGowen, senior executive vice president of HR and talent acquisition at Paycom, a leading cloud-based human capital management (HCM) software provider.
She notes that a manager stretched thin by multiple requests can start making inconsistent or delayed decisions. They might accidentally approve overlapping absences, exceed overtime budgets, create periods with no coverage, or even expose their company to compliance risks.
The impacts of decision fatigue on colleagues can be further damaging. “In a Paycom commissioned study, we learned that almost half of surveyed employees want time-off requests approved within one business day, but data shows that is not the reality. One in four US-based full-time employees said it can take almost a week or longer for their managers to review time-off requests,” said McGowen. “This delay, especially in today’s fast-paced workplace and regarding an employee’s earned time off, erodes trust and can lead to disengagement.”2
The hidden dollar cost of manual business systems
Alongside the very real cost to staff well-being and relationships, the adverse impact of decision fatigue on a company’s bottom line is significant, particularly regarding requests for time off.
Global consulting firm EY estimates that each time a staff member requests leave, the administrative cost of manually processing the request is $54.80. Including labor and non-labor, this cost accounts for the time the employee spends submitting a request and the time HR or managers spend manually searching for that employee’s information, reviewing or approving the request, calculating time-off balances, and updating the employee.3
“Across hundreds, even thousands, of monthly submissions, the cost compounds,” McGowen said. She explains that increased use of technology hasn’t always simplified work because many organizations still rely on disconnected systems that require their leaders to jump between tools and manually reconcile data.
A Forrester Consulting nationwide study commissioned by Paycom found companies surveyed use an average of more than six HCM providers, with 77% storing data across multiple databases and 71% unable to transfer or share that data across databases.4
This kind of strain is amplified in HR, where teams often have to reconcile data across multiple tools. In one survey, 53% of HR teams reported juggling from four to 10 or more software solutions. Yet teams using fewer tools are more likely to report significant efficiency and productivity gains: 70% with one to three tools versus 55% with four to six tools, and 47% with 10-plus tools.5
When leaders are under pressure to make fast decisions based on fragmented information, their exhaustion compounds, often leading to poor-quality decisions. The impact can be particularly damaging in sectors such as health care, where poor or delayed decisions can impact both the business and patient care.
“That’s why unified, single-solution HR technology has shifted from being a nice-to-have to a business necessity,” McGowen said.
How to implement a smart management strategy
Automating essential processes on a single platform and giving leaders access to reliable, real-time data reduces their manual work and supports their capacity to make faster, more confident decisions.
Paycom’s Time-Off Requests tool, featuring GONE®, instantly approves or denies employee time-off requests based on established company policy, including accruals and tenure, staffing needs, and more. McGowen explains that tools such as this are designed to support leaders in this way. This automated process reduces manager workload, applies consistency to avoid mistakes, and gives the employee an instant answer.
A 2024 Forrester Consulting study commissioned by Paycom showed that organizations using this technology achieved up to an 821% return on investment over three years, saving each manager the equivalent of almost a full working week each year and saving HR, finance, and admin teams nearly five workweeks annually.6
Health care provider Dominion Care saved more than $190,000 within four months of their employees using the software, reducing admin, empowering employees to spend more time with patients, and allowing the company to prioritize its growth.
“When you automate decisions at the front end, you’re not just saving time,” McGowen said. “You’re giving your leaders their mental bandwidth back. That’s when better decisions follow.”
Learn more about decision fatigue and how to manage it by watching leadership psychologist Dr. Jessica Sharp’s on-demand webinar for expert workplace strategies.
This post was created by Insider Studios with Paycom.
1 https://hbr.org/2023/12/a-simple-way-to-make-better-decisions; https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/stretching-theory/201809/how-many-decisions-do-we-make-each-day?msockid=14a4a05abb716a152c14b69cba876b0c
2 https://www.h3hr.com/hr-technology-news-paycoms-gone-time-off-request-automation-empowers-employees-and-supports-managers/
3 EY, Estimating Labor and Non-Labor Costs Associated with Common Human Resources (HR) Functions/Tasks: Cost Update 2025, ey.com, September 2025
4 Single-Database HCM Solutions Drive Cross-Business Success, a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Paycom, May 2025
5 https://www.paycom.com/resources/task-automation-and-employee-self-service-reshape-hr-experience/
6 A commissioned Total Economic Impact™ study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Paycom, October 2024. Results are for a composite organization based on interviewed clients with a three-year projected ROI of 102%-821%. Refers to a traditional 40-hour workweek
