Christine Muldoon is the senior vice president of marketing and strategy at WebMD Health Services.
In recent years, companies have made meaningful progress in expanding mental health resources for employees. But even with increased investment, the outcomes aren’t improving at the same pace.
Employees aren’t just stressed. They’re becoming increasingly disengaged and re-evaluating what they expect from work and their employers. The American Psychological Association’s “2024 Work in America” survey found that 67% of respondents reported experiencing at least one symptom of burnout, such as lack of interest or effort, low energy or feeling isolated. Even those responsible for teams are struggling, as Gallup’s “State of the Global Workplace 2026” report determined that “manager engagement has dropped by nine points” since 2022.
The scope of the problem is hard to ignore. Spring Health’s “2026 Workplace Mental Health Annual Report” found that 61% of surveyed HR leaders had seen an increase in mental health leaves over the past year. As a result, 40% said a top concern moving forward is the rise in claims for mental health-related disability or leave.
Together, these trends point to a deeper shift. Employees aren’t just in need of more support. They’re questioning whether their workplace is sustainable at all.
What’s causing the disconnect?
Many organizations’ answer to improving employee well-being has been expanding access to mental health benefits, like adding apps, increasing therapy coverage or promoting wellness days. While these are important ways to support employees during stressful moments, they just treat the symptoms instead of addressing the day-to-day culture that affects the employee experience.
Employees continue to cite heavy workloads as the top driver of stress, and few believe that their employer exhibits genuine care for them. When these kinds of issues aren’t addressed, they significantly impact performance measures like productivity, absenteeism and turnover. But an organizational culture built on a commitment to well-being creates a more satisfied workforce. In fact, my company’s “Workplace Well-Being in 2025” report found that employees who feel cared for are 37% less likely to feel burned out and 34% less likely to leave their jobs.
Improving employee mental health starts with your culture.
Employees know the difference between applying a bandage and really addressing the causes of burnout. To truly move the needle on mental health, organizations must take a critical look at workplace norms and culture. Here are some questions to reflect on:
1. How does work get done? Are employees constantly putting out fires or expected to meet unrealistic deadlines? Do they regularly work during off-hours?
2. Are there opportunities for rest and recovery? Mental health and physical well-being go hand in hand. So, consider whether employees feel they have permission to tend to their well-being during the day.
3. Are managers trained to lead with empathy and create psychological safety on their teams? “Managerial support strongly correlates with … positive employee mental health outcomes.”
4. Do managers have mental health support for their unique circumstances? If managers are burned out and disengaged, everything downstream suffers.
5. Are employees regularly recognized for good work? This can be as simple as a note from a leader or posts on a recognition platform.
6. Are we offering as much flexibility as we can? If the nature of your work allows it, flexibility can be hugely helpful for employees’ well-being.
7. Do leaders model healthy behaviors? It’s hard to tell employees to set and keep boundaries when their manager is pinging them over the weekend.
8. Are there alternate ways to seek help? Not all employees will be comfortable speaking to a manager or even HR about mental health concerns. Consider how mental health ambassadors and employee resource groups can offer support.
Of course, it’s important to be realistic. Cultural change takes time, and in some industries, high-pressure environments are inherent to the work itself. We may not be able to eliminate intensity altogether, but we can ensure it’s sustainable by helping employees navigate and balance the demanding times with time to recharge.
Mental health awareness requires meaningful action.
As I watch organizations talk more openly about mental health and recognize important awareness movements, I’m reminded that we have an opportunity to go beyond raising awareness. We can shift to making sustainable improvements in how work gets done, how leaders lead and how culture is reinforced every day.
Timely events like Mental Health Awareness Month or World Mental Health Day can serve as a catalyst, but they shouldn’t be the end point. The organizations that want to make a measurable impact need to use these moments to embed mental health into the culture of how they work and how the work itself impacts well-being every day.
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