It’s no secret that the world is a stressful place. Economies are struggling, war is raging, and people are frantically trying to deliver business as usual.
I’d never normally start a blog with such a doom-and-gloom outlook but the crisis facing my profession is real and getting worse. And there’s a good reason.
These might be external factors but they impact on everyone’s resilience and tolerance. As a result everyone is more stressed and it’s getting harder and harder to be in HR.
The business landscape has changed. People are struggling, stress levels are unprecedented, workloads are higher despite the clarion call of automation, and people are more willing to speak out (rightly so, but that alone increases the workload in processing issues).
HR carry the burden of these increases in more than one way. They have the transactional workload to deal with but they also, often, have to process the emotional trauma that comes from being involved in everyone’s stress and distress. What’s more, HR are frequently seen as ‘safe’ for other leaders to lean on; leaders who are themselves under huge pressure and need someone to unburden to. Carrying your own load is heavy enough; absorbing the emotional weight of others on top is an expectation that makes the role uniquely demanding.
Let’s look at the stats.
- Employment tribunal applications have spiked 32% in just the first quarter of 2025 (The AP Partnership)
- The backlog in processing claims has soared by 23% since 2020, adding to the stress through unresolved situations
- 91% of UK workers report high or extreme stress, with stress-related absence affecting 21% of employees (Mental Health UK, Burnout Report 2025)
- Worryingly, only half of employers believe their current efforts to address stress are effective.
This all translates directly into some worrying stats for the HR functions in our businesses.
According to Cezanne, 93% of current HR professionals have experienced burnout at some point in their careers and 83% took time off in the past year due to stress. A report by The HR Zone shows over three quarters of them report anxiety, fatigue, and low mood and nearly half are considering leaving the profession permanently.
Again, it’s worrying to see recent reports from HR Review that only 13% feel well supported by their organisation in their mental wellbeing.
This is not just wellbeing
This is a ticking time bomb for organisations that depend on HR leaders to hold the line through restructures, grievances, and culture shifts. It’s not just that HR leaders are struggling personally, it’s that the rest of the leadership team often rely on HR as their outlet too. That dual burden is unsustainable, and it’s something that simply isn’t considered a high enough priority.
I know this because ten years ago, I reached my own breaking point, which eventually led to me becoming Founder of Mind Values Leadership.
The simple fact is that HR carries the professional and emotional burden of all these issues. From steering organisations through restructures, dealing with grievances and disciplinaries, and staying on top of the transactional elements of the role, HR professionals are absorbing huge emotional weight – both their own and that of others.
How we can support our HR professionals
With today’s pace of change and rising expectations, there’s no doubt we need to take action. Here at Mind Values Leadership, we believe there is a solution, and it’s part of a proven model that exists in other sectors.
It’s called supervision. Supervision is something provided to all therapists, coaches, and many healthcare professionals to protect their wellbeing and effectiveness. It involves an often more experienced professional providing oversight, guidance and support with the thoughts and feelings related to the day job. It’s a form of coaching designed to keep practitioners resilient.
And yet it’s never been offered to HR professionals. Until now.
We’ve created The HR Space: a pioneering, year-long group supervision programme for senior HR leaders.
It’s not training. It’s not a course. It’s a confidential, expertly facilitated space to reflect, decompress, and reset. Participants will join a carefully curated cohort of six to eight peers, building reflective practice into their leadership and gaining the support network they’ve never had.
A founding invitation
The HR Space, where SPACE means a ‘Safe Place for Authentic Connection and Exploration’, will launch its first cohort in January 2026.
As a founding participant, you can join for a special introductory rate of £1,500 (including VAT) which is less than half the full programme fee of £3,500.
The HR Space will consist of monthly meetings designed to ensure safety, confidentiality, and to build a community of support. Months two to eleven will take place online, facilitated by HR and psychological coaching experts. Finally, month twelve will be a half-day closing session to consolidate learning, reflect on progress, and plan for the future.
By participating in this structured yet human space to decompress, share challenges, and build resilience, you get the chance to be part of the solution, not the statistics.
If you’d like to explore being a part of The HR Space, you can find out more and book an exploratory call.