Why Corporate Burnout Is Often Seen As An HR Problem Instead Of A Societal Problem
In today's high-pressure corporate landscape, burnout has become a constant challenge affecting employees across industries. It’s something I’ve seen and experienced firsthand.
While companies increasingly recognise the issue, there's a troubling tendency to frame burnout primarily as an HR problem rather than acknowledging its deeper societal roots. This narrow framing not only places a ridiculously large burden on HR departments but also prevents businesses from implementing truly effective solutions for their staff.
The Burden Falls to HR
"HR teams are taking the majority of the stress and are expected to deal with it, carry it, and are overwhelmed, experiencing the highest levels of burnout in organisations," observes Claudia De Silva, an HR consultant and coach. "They don't necessarily have the tools, capacity, or understanding on a personal level of how to deal with this."
This situation creates a troubling cycle: the very professionals tasked with addressing burnout are themselves burning out.
De Silva highlights how burnout gets "split off and handed to the HR team," creating a siloed approach where leadership delegates rather than participates in solutions.
Surface-Level Solutions
Jessica Dunne, an HR professional, expresses frustration with superficial approaches to workplace well-being. "Companies setting out wellbeing agendas, awareness days, mental health Fridays... It's quite frustrating because it starts with job design and the environment you work in," Dunne notes. She emphasises that "one webinar doesn't cut the mustard; you need foundations in place first."
This sentiment is echoed by Joana from HR DOT, who categorises many corporate well-being initiatives as "Band-Aid fixes for deeper issues." She points out that many companies focus on "individual coping tools—think meditation apps or gym memberships—instead of tackling the real problems, such as unrealistic workloads, a toxic work culture, or a lack of genuine autonomy."
The Societal Context
What's often missing from corporate discussions about burnout is any acknowledgement of the broader societal factors contributing to employee stress. I can vouch for this on a personal level.
De Silva identifies these as "ongoing stresses in society which we have to acknowledge—like real existential threats. Climate change, economic uncertainty, fears about war... when you get into an organisation, it's then compounded with the stress of work, life, group dynamics."
This perspective shifts burnout from being merely an individual or HR issue to a systemic challenge reflecting broader social anxieties and pressures. When employees come to work already carrying societal stresses, workplace demands can quickly become overwhelming.
According to the World Health Organization, burnout is officially recognised as an "occupational phenomenon" in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), characterised by feelings of energy depletion, increased mental distance from one's job, and reduced professional efficacy—highlighting that this is not just a personal failure to manage stress but a response to chronic workplace stressors.1
The Post-Pandemic Reality
The COVID-19 pandemic has undeniably intensified burnout trends.
As Dunne notes, "Since COVID, stress-related absence is on the rise, related to the shift back to the office after remote work." This transition has created new friction points for employees who had adapted to different working patterns.
Amale Ghalbouni, strategist and founder of The Brick Coach, describes burnout as "the new pandemic, partly an outcome of the pandemic (stress and anxiety that hasn't been given space)." This characterisation recognises how collective trauma and disruption have exacerbated workplace stress.
The Middle Management Squeeze
Another overlooked dimension is the particular pressure faced by middle managers, who often become both victims and unwitting perpetuators of burnout culture.
As Joana from HR DOT describes, they experience "being squeezed from both sides" and carry "the weight of emotional pressure," presenting "unwavering confidence to upper management while offering support and understanding to their staff."
This "invisible pressure" contributes significantly to organisational stress dynamics yet rarely receives dedicated attention in corporate wellbeing initiatives - again, I say this from personal experience.
Beyond Wellness as PR
For many companies, well-being programmes represent more branding than substance. Joana calls this out as "wellness as a PR move," noting that "when leadership pushes for self-care while work demands remain relentless, employees quickly become sceptical and even cynical about these efforts."
This disconnect between expressed values and operational realities breeds distrust and ultimately undermines the effectiveness of any well-being initiatives.
A recent Gallup study found that only 24% of employees strongly agree that their organisation cares about their well-being, despite 87% of employees expecting their employer to support their well-being. This substantial gap demonstrates the widespread perception that corporate wellness initiatives often lack substance and genuine commitment.
Measuring What Matters
Another fundamental flaw in current approaches is inappropriate metrics. "Often, success is measured by how many employees show up for a yoga class rather than tracking whether these activities truly lessen burnout," says Joana. "High participation doesn't necessarily mean that stress levels are being reduced."
The misalignment between measurements and meaningful outcomes leads organisations to continue investing in programmes that look good on paper but fail to address the underlying issues driving burnout.
The Communication Breakdown
Leah from The Way Finders Group highlights another critical dimension often overlooked in discussions about workplace stress.
Research from Ciphr states that 86% of people in the UK feel stressed at least one day a month (up from 79% in 2021). One in nine (11%) report being stressed every single day.
"Imagine how much more stressful that is when you're experiencing conflict with a team member, your manager, or a direct report," Leah adds, connecting individual stress with interpersonal dynamics that often escape corporate wellness initiatives.
As a mediator, Leah emphasises the importance of psychological safety: "Most importantly, when you're experiencing high levels of stress, you need someone to be sensitive to your specific needs, someone who takes your concerns seriously and empowers you to find agency in the challenges you're facing." This perspective highlights how addressing burnout requires not just wellness programmes but also skilled facilitation of difficult conversations and conflicts that exacerbate workplace stress.
Creating Genuine Solutions
So, what more effective approaches might organisations consider?
According to Leah, addressing workplace conflict is essential, as "a quarter of employees in the UK (8 million people) experienced workplace conflicts in the last year." She emphasises that "conflict undermines trust, and low-trust environments are stressful for everyone involved."
De Silva advocates for "creating a thinking space in which this stuff can be brought to the surface. That's the real key, getting it talked about and processed." This approach acknowledges that burnout isn't just about workload but also about psychological safety and open communication.
Small Business Advantages
Smaller organisations without extensive HR resources can actually have certain advantages in tackling burnout. Joana suggests that leaders in smaller companies can make a significant impact by "leading by example" and actively modelling healthy boundaries. She also notes that "with fewer bureaucratic hoops to jump through, small businesses can easily adapt work schedules to meet individual needs."
The Path Forward
Addressing burnout effectively requires recognising it as both an organisational and societal challenge. As Claudia De Silva suggests, organisations need to focus on "supporting HR teams to be able to manage this piece that they're being expected to manage," while also ensuring that leadership acknowledges "that it needs to be dealt with on a team level."
What emerges from these expert insights is clear: treating burnout as merely an HR problem not only overwhelms HR professionals but misses the complex interplay of factors causing the issue. True progress requires:
Leadership commitment beyond delegation
Addressing underlying work culture and job design issues
Acknowledging broader societal stressors
Creating psychological safety for open discussion
Implementing meaningful rather than cosmetic solutions
Supporting the supporters—HR professionals themselves
Only by embracing this more holistic perspective can organisations hope to create workplaces where employees can truly thrive rather than merely survive.
As stressors continue to evolve in our ever-changing world, the most resilient businesses will be those that recognise burnout as a shared responsibility, not just an HR problem to solve, but a societal challenge requiring collective action.
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Emily King is a Marketing & Breathwork Consultant helping female founders in wellness, lifestyle and beauty industries scale their businesses sustainably by fusing 360° marketing strategy, consultancy and mindfulness practices. She is also the founder of The C Word Magazine, an online platform amplifying female voices. Connect with her on Instagram @_emnco, and explore her expertise in marketing and breathwork on her website. You can even now subscribe to The Breathwork Collective.
