The Autonomy Paradox Revisited: Emotional Intelligence, Psychological Safety, and Burnout in Public Service Work

Burnout has become a major challenge in public service work, where high workloads, emotionally demanding interactions, and constrained discretion can erode employees’ psychological resources. Drawing on the Job Demands–Resources framework, this study examines how workload, job autonomy, leader’s emotional intelligence, and psychological safety shape burnout among public servants. Using structural equation modeling and data from the 2024 Australian Public Service Employee Census, the study assesses direct, indirect, and conditional relationships among organizational demands and resources. The findings show that workload is a strong positive predictor of burnout, while the effects of job autonomy depend on the surrounding relational climate. Leader’s emotional intelligence is positively associated with psychological safety but also demonstrates a direct positive association with burnout. Overall, the findings provide a contextual refinement of the JD–R model by clarifying when autonomy functions as a protective resource and when it may contribute to strain in public organizations.