HR professionals often hold everyone else together. This year’s HR mental wellbeing survey shows just how much this role costs them.
Over 1,400 HR professionals told us about their experiences in February 2025. They paint a picture that shows a profession in serious strain. Emotional exhaustion and poor mental health are affecting not only individuals but also organisational outcomes such as engagement, absence and retention.
We can no longer ignore this issue. Data is too clear. The consequences are too serious.
Unbelievable patterns and ground-breaking data
This dataset, which I co-authored, is truly revolutionary. This study provides the most complete and comprehensive picture of psychological health of UK HR professionals.
What it shows is very disturbing.
Most respondents reported symptoms of fatigue, low mood and anxiety. Over three quarters of respondents show signs or are at risk for burnout. Nearly half of the respondents are considering leaving their profession. One quarter of respondents have taken time away from work due to mental illness or stress in the last year.
Those who receive insufficient support will be more susceptible to these outcomes.
I’m always fighting fires. “There’s nowhere to breathe and no one to whom I can turn.”
Support is not a “nice to have”. It’s protective.
In our survey, only 13% of HR professionals felt “very well supported” when it came to their mental health at work. Just 5% of those who are likely to experience burnout reported feeling well supported.
The relationship between support and results was striking.
- Low support was associated with depression, anxiety and burnout.
- Also, they were more likely to report illness and be considering leaving their profession.
This is not just a matter of wellbeing, but a critical business issue. It’s not just individuals who suffer from the absence of psychologically safe, structured support. This also increases attrition, and leads to avoidable absence.
Targeted support for HR is compassionate and cost-effective.
Self-care doesn’t work
It is common for HR professionals to be told to practice self-care, to build resilience, or to “take care” of themselves. But, when robust support and workloads are unsustainable, it becomes yet another burden to handle alone.
No one thinks HR needs help. HR is not seen as a problem.
Self-care is important, but not the only answer. Bubble baths and breathing applications won’t be able to reverse the cumulative effects of moral distress, lack recognition and unrealistic expectations.
A dual approach is required to achieve real change:
- Organisations need to invest in systemic supports.
- As it has done in the past, the HR profession needs to advocate for themselves.
Human Resources (HR) still do not recognise the emotional toil of their employees
The emotional complexity of the HR profession is a recurring theme. Many respondents spoke about navigating through grief, disclosures of abuse, redundancies and conflict without the proper training or support.
People bring all their problems to HR, including trauma, crisis and breakdown. We take it all in and continue to work.”
It is a labour of love that HR professionals do not acknowledge, but it puts them under a sustained strain on their mental health, just like other roles in helping. Supporting others in their pain and complexity, without the proper support, can lead to compassion fatigue, cynicism or withdrawal.
These data are the foundation for any change
It’s not the first time that we’ve seen warning signals. The data for this year makes it impossible to ignore.
Clarity and magnitude of findings should serve as a wake up call to business leaders and professional organisations alike. HR professionals play a crucial role in fostering organisational culture and well-being, but without support they will struggle to continue their work.
The report provides a model of change on three levels.
- Organisational: Redesign the roles to be sustainable, recognize emotional labour as an actual demand, and embed structured, regular support.
- Professional: Set clear mental health standards, and provide training on evidence-based models of development such as supervision.
- Individual Empowering HR professionals to seek help, prioritize wellbeing and normalise the process of seeking help – without feeling shame.
I love my work. “I love this work, but I don’t know how long I will be able to continue doing it in this way.”
Final Word
As one HR respondent said, “We are expected to be calm during a storm, but sometimes we’re also in crisis.”
Human resources professionals are also human. They need to rest, reflect, and receive real support. It’s our responsibility as leaders, co-workers, and changemakers to make sure they receive it.
