October HR Hub: The Hidden Mental Health Crisis in HR - Poll Insights

At our October 2025 HR Hub, we were joined by Dr Jo Burrell, Clinical Psychologist and Co-Founder of Ultimate Resilience, to explore one of the most important yet often overlooked topics in the profession: the mental wellbeing of HR professionals.

Drawing on findings from the 2025 HR Mental Wellbeing Survey, Jo revealed the depth of the challenge:

• 73% of HR professionals report symptoms of low mood or depression
• 44% meet the threshold for clinically significant depression.
• 75% report symptoms of anxiety, with 38% meeting the clinical threshold.
• 38% meet the threshold for clinically significant anxiety

These figures point to an urgent need for structured support, recognition, and cultural change within HR functions.

During the live session, we invited attendees to share their own experiences through our poll. Here’s what we found.

Why Are HR Professionals Struggling?

Poll Question 1: What do you think is driving the mental health crisis in HR?

• 42% – Workload demands
• 23% – Emotional toll of the role
• 20% – Lack of recognition
• 14% – Problem culture

The responses mirror the wider survey findings shared by Jo. Excessive workloads, limited support, and the pressure of constant crisis management are taking a visible toll. Many HR professionals reported working 50-plus hours a week “just to stay afloat” with little room to recover or refocus.

As Jo explained, HR often absorbs the organisation’s most challenging issues redundancies, conflict, and grievance handling while being expected to remain calm, objective and resilient. Without recognition or structured reflection, this emotional labour becomes unsustainable.

What Support Does HR Need Most?

Poll Question 2: What would make the biggest difference to HR wellbeing?

• 38% – Structured system of support
• 35% – Space for self-care
• 27% – Informal peer support network

These responses show a clear appetite for formal, ongoing frameworks, not just one-off wellbeing initiatives. Jo emphasised that consistent systems, such as HR Supervision, can offer a safe, confidential space for reflection, skill-building, and emotional processing, reducing burnout and improving professional judgement.

In her words, “HR Supervision provides structure, not strain. It’s a space for learning, reflection and growth, helping HR give their best without burning out.”

What This Means for Employers

The message is clear: supporting HR is a business necessity. Organisations that invest in the well-being of their HR teams benefit from:

• Lower sickness absence
• Reduced turnover
• Stronger engagement and decision-making
• Healthier organisational culture overall

Building resilience in HR means recognising that those who support everyone else also need support themselves.

Final Thoughts

Our October HR Hub shone a light on an often-hidden reality - that HR professionals are operating under immense and sustained pressure. The poll results reinforce that practical, ongoing, and psychologically informed support is key to building resilient, healthy workplaces.

At Allen Associates, we’re proud to partner with experts like Dr Jo Burrell and our HR community to turn insight into action - helping employers support their people and their HR teams alike.

Save the Date

Our next HR Hub takes place on Thursday, 13th November, when we’ll be joined by Stephanie Merrifield, Chief People Officer at AllPoints Fibre Networks, for a session on: The Future of Work: Connection, Collaboration and Choice.

Register here.