Mental health in the corporate sector - a realist's view

Mental health is everywhere in corporate messaging. CEOs post about burnout on LinkedIn, HR departments roll out wellness platforms, and companies boast mental health “initiatives” during earnings calls. But behind the PR gloss, a more uncomfortable reality persists: while corporations talk the mental health talk, many still walk employees straight into burnout.

The corporate world has learned to sound compassionate. But in practice, mental health often remains a branding exercise – more optics than overhaul.

Wellness as a marketing strategy

In today’s workplace, mental health has become a tickbox. Meditation apps are offered, “well-being webinars” are scheduled, and Slack statuses proudly announce “mental health days.” On the surface, it looks like progress. But dig deeper, and a troubling contradiction emerges: the same companies encouraging self-care often demand 24/7 availability, even on holidays.

Work-life balance is a slide in a company deck, not a reality for most teams. When deadlines loom, weekend emails fly. When crises or end of quarters hit, holidays are interrupted. And when burnout surfaces, the responsibility is quietly handed back to the individual: Have you tried breathing exercises?

Performative empathy and the burden of “resilience”

Corporations love the language of empathy, but rarely challenge the systems that create distress in the first place. Instead of reducing workload or reassessing toxic expectations, many companies push “resilience training,” subtly implying that the real issue is employees not coping well enough.

The message is clear: your mental health matters, as long as it doesn’t interfere with deliverables.

A recent internal study from a major tech firm (shared anonymously) found that while 82% of employees had access to mental health benefits, nearly 70% felt “punished” informally – through reduced opportunities or subtle exclusion – after taking advantage of them.

It’s not that companies are unaware of the problem. They’re just not prepared to change the structures that cause it. Flexibility often translates into “you can work from anywhere and even that is changing”, but not “you can disconnect.” Mental health support remains skin-deep.

The manager’s dilemma

Managers, too, are caught in this tension. They’re trained to show empathy and check in on their team’s well-being, while also being held accountable for output, delivery timelines, and KPIs. They’re expected to support struggling employees but rarely have the authority to adjust workload or challenge unrealistic targets.

In many cases, managers become the buffer zone between policy and pressure, quietly absorbing the emotional toll themselves. Middle management burnout has become a silent epidemic.

The cost of speaking up

Despite the corporate rhetoric around “psychological safety,” many employees still fear being honest about their mental health. Behind closed doors, vulnerability can be penalised. Asking for accommodations or flagging stress is often interpreted as a lack of commitment. Some careers stall quietly after a mental health disclosure.

The result? Silence. Employees learn to smile through burnout, mute notifications while working late, and hide the real toll of always being “on.”

A culture of quiet contradictions

The truth is that most companies still view mental health through the lens of productivity. They’ll invest in wellness so long as it improves performance. They’ll fund therapy apps, but not reallocate budgets to reduce workloads. They’ll praise transparency in town halls, while privately rewarding those who grind the hardest.

What we’re witnessing is not a revolution in mental health, but a rebranding of hustle culture in softer, more palatable terms.

What real support would look like

If businesses truly cared about mental well-being, the approach would look very different.

It would include:

• Boundaries on after-hours work, especially during holidays.
• Fewer meetings, more focus time, and realistic deadlines.
• Culture shifts, not just campaigns – where leadership models boundaries instead of preaching them.
• Anonymous audits of psychological safety and burnout risk, followed by transparent action.
• Accountability – not for employees who speak up, but for leaders who create unsustainable environments.

Mental health is becoming the new corporate currency. But like all currencies, its value depends on how it’s spent. Too often, it’s invested in image, not infrastructure.

Real support isn’t measured in app subscriptions or yoga sessions; it’s felt in how people are treated when they’re struggling. Until companies are willing to sacrifice output to protect well-being, the wellness revolution will remain just another line in the annual report.