Changes Needed in Workplace Mental Health Support

The phrase "crashing out" is rapidly gaining traction, describing a breaking point where employees, overwhelmed and exhausted, impulsively disengage—sometimes even quitting without a backup plan. This trend reflects a deeper crisis of mental fatigue, burnout, and a collective inability to cope with prolonged stress and intense workplace pressures. It’s a symptom that goes beyond simple job dissatisfaction, stemming from a fundamental disconnect between individual needs and organizational support. Research highlights several core reasons behind this phenomenon: employees' quest for progress isn't being met; they feel a loss of control, a misalignment with company values, or simply need to take a critical next step in their lives. Coupled with inadequate communication, poor performance management, and a lack of psychological safety, these factors create environments where stress turns into systemic overload, leading individuals to hit a wall. For HR leaders, this is a critical call to action. To stem the tide of "crashing out" and foster a resilient workforce, consider these essential responses: Prioritize Individual Progress: Understand each employee's unique career quest and provide pathways for skill development, challenge, and advancement. Enhance Communication & Transparency: Establish clear, consistent communication channels, ensuring employees feel informed, heard, and supported. Vague benefit details or unclear performance metrics are no longer acceptable. Revamp Performance Management: Move beyond annual reviews to continuous, supportive feedback that clarifies expectations and helps employees align their work with their goals. Cultivate Psychological Safety: Create an environment where employees feel safe to express vulnerability, set boundaries, and admit when they are not okay, without fear of repercussions. Normalize Rest & Well-being: Actively promote work-life balance and model healthy boundaries. Invest in mental health resources and peer support systems to build a more resilient workforce. Empower Managers: Equip leaders with the tools and training to have ongoing, empathetic conversations about well-being and progress, truly knowing their teams' needs. Addressing "crashing out" isn't just about retention; it's about building a sustainable, human-centric workplace where employees can thrive. https://lnkd.in/eYRGhZ3g #HR #EmployeeWellbeing #Burnout #WorkplaceCulture #HumanResources #FutureOfWork #EmployeeEngagement

When it comes to supporting employee wellbeing, I think too many orgs approach what is a structural/organizational problem with individual-level solutions. For example: - Burnout → wellness and meditation apps - Stress → resources on stress management and building resilience - Mental health → therapy stipends It’s a little bit of money and apps, tools, and tech (oh my! 😩 ) for employees to use so that they can try to tackle the challenge individually. While these solutions can be helpful, they put the burden of change on individual employees rather than addressing systemic causes. They suggest that if employees just managed themselves better, meditated more, or used the right apps, their challenges would disappear. And it pushes the responsibility for change from the org to the individual. But here's the reality - when we're seeing widespread challenges across our organizations, it's usually a signal that we need structural change, not just individual support. What if instead of just giving people meditation apps to deal with burnout, we examined our workload distribution? What if rather than stress management resources, we implemented true flexible work policies? Or meeting-free days? What if alongside therapy stipends, we built psychologically safe environments and trained managers in supporting wellbeing? The individual solutions aren't wrong - they're just insufficient on their own. As HR leaders, we have the opportunity to guide our organizations toward systemic changes that create sustainably healthy workplaces. What are you implementing in your org to tackle this challenge at both an individual and organizational level? What’s working and what isn’t?

74% of employees want better workplace mental health support. 75% of employees are experiencing low mood. Yet most companies are still treating wellness like it’s optional. Wake up. 🚨 A new 2025 study just dropped the truth bomb every leader needs to hear: Your workforce is drowning. Political turmoil, economic uncertainty, global crises - it’s all landing on your employees’ shoulders. And they’re buckling under the weight. The cost of ignoring this? Astronomical: > Depression alone causes **35% productivity drop** > Burnout costs global healthcare **$322 billion annually** > Employee turnover can cost up to **30% of annual salary** > Mental health issues lead to **$210.5 billion** in annual losses But here’s what really gets me: Only 50% of workers even know how to access mental health care through their employer. You’re paying for benefits people can’t find. That’s not support - that’s corporate theater. 🎭 Through my work transforming workplace cultures, I see this pattern repeatedly: Companies budget for ping pong tables but not therapists. They’ll pay for team drinks but not mental health days. They measure productivity but ignore the humans producing. Real mental health support isn’t yoga mats and meditation apps (though those help). It’s: ✓ Leaders who normalize taking mental health days ✓ Managers trained to spot burnout before it explodes ✓ EAPs that actually work when people need them ✓ Flexible schedules that acknowledge humans aren’t machines ✓ Psychological safety to say “I’m struggling” without career suicide The companies thriving in 2025 aren’t the ones pretending everything’s fine. They’re the ones admitting it’s not - and doing something about it. They understand that mental health isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s the foundation of everything else. Your employees are telling you they’re not okay. The question is: Are you listening, or are you waiting for them to break? Because when 46% of healthcare workers report frequent burnout, when financial stress is crushing focus, when workplace violence has traumatized 2 million workers - “we’ll address it next quarter” isn’t leadership. It’s negligence. Stop waiting for the ‘right time’ to prioritize mental health. Your employees are struggling NOW. They need support NOW. Not next quarter’s initiative or next year’s budget line. Because healthy minds build healthy businesses. And broken people can’t build anything at all. 💚 AA✨ (Substack link in the comments 👀🩷) —————————————————— 👋🏾 Hi, I’m Abi: Founder of The Culture Partnership. Follow me as I discuss workplace culture, inclusion, leadership, social equity & justice.