E26 - HR Wellbeing Report 2026 - with Dr Jo Burrell

Dr Jo Burrell is a Clinical Psychologist, co-founder of Ultimate Resilience, and co-author of the 2026 HR Mental Wellbeing Report which is now in its third year and drawing on data from nearly 3,000 HR professionals.

The numbers are confronting:

• 74% showing symptoms of depression,
• 73% anxiety,
• 62% likely experiencing burnout, and
• 38% considering leaving the profession entirely.

But in this conversation we go well beneath the statistics. We explore how the report was designed using clinical-grade measures (the same tools a GP uses before prescribing medication) and what it actually means to score at those thresholds. We also get into the invisibility of emotional labour, why HR professionals are among the least likely people to seek support despite designing it for everyone else, why "workload" may be too blunt a word for what the profession is actually carrying, and what three years of consistent data tells us about the structural problem underneath it all.

Dr Jo Burrell is a joy to speak to and can be reached on LinkedIn. The HR Wellbeing Report published today, 1 June 2026, is available to download here. 

As always, you can get in touch with Dean and Sue via hiya@sopeople.co.uk. 

And very importantly, if you are struggling with work or experiencing any emotional challenges, please get in touch with Dean about his psychotherapy practice, or he can point you in the direction of someone suitable.