Most employers now accept that mental health matters. But too many are still stuck in the performative-treating symptoms, not the causes.
Giving staff one day off and then doubling their deliverables the following week is not wellness. Hosting a mindfulness session after employees have endured weeks of burnout is not support. Posting a mental health quote on Instagram while ignoring requests for fair hours or better pay is not leadership.
Modern workers — especially millennials and Gen Z — want more than feel-good slogans. They want policies that reflect the actual pressures in their lives.
They want mental health support that’s embedded in how the company operates. And yes, that includes tough conversations about workload, benefits, leadership behavior, and priorities.
Parental support remains one of the most overlooked areas in these conversations. Companies lose talented employees — especially women — not because they don’t care, but because no one thought to offer six months of paid leave or flexible return-to-work plans.
The mental strain on the sandwich generation — those raising children while caring for ageing parents — is also ignored. A caregiving allowance or extended time off could be the difference between retention and resignation.
Study leave is another blind spot. In a world where skills evolve rapidly, employees want to grow. But juggling full-time work and evening classes without support leads to burnout. Structured study breaks or educational sponsorships aren’t just employee perks — they’re strategic investments.
Reduced workloads shouldn’t be taboo either. Hustle culture breaks people. Companies that are brave enough to reassess roles, shift resources, or admit, “This is too much,” are the ones keeping their teams healthy and focused.
And then there’s psychological safety. Real wellbeing means people can say “I’m struggling” without it costing them a promotion. It means people can speak up without fear. It means managers trust more and micromanage less. No app or wellness toolkit can replace a culture of trust and basic human decency.
In the same way HR needs structure, mental health support needs specialists. Partnering with certified wellness organisations and bringing in qualified in-house counselors is more than a nice-to-have — it’s essential.
Especially during high-stress transitions, when uncertainty and anxiety spike. Real care, like real strategy, requires professionals who know how to meet people where they are.
Let’s rethink what mental health support at work really looks like. Less posts. More structure. More humanity.
The writer is a senior HR consultant and founder of Jobonics HR.
