From Burnout to Breakthrough: Why Leaders Must Prioritize Employee Well-being

Written By Estela Barraza

Five hours.

That was my daily commute.

Five hours of stop-and-go traffic, arriving at work already exhausted, coming home too drained to do anything but collapse. I was mentally fried, emotionally checked out, and physically depleted.

But I kept pushing forward.

Because that’s what we’re taught, right? Work hard. Stay busy. Push through. Until one day, my body said “enough.”

I was burned out. And it wasn’t just the commute. It was the grind culture—the expectation to stay in a job, to sacrifice well-being for a paycheck, to wear exhaustion like a badge of honor.

So, I made a terrifying decision.

I quit.

And that’s when my real work began in 2018. Helping executives rethink employee well-being. Because burnout isn’t just an individual problem. It’s a leadership problem. And it’s time for Executives and HR leaders to take the lead in fixing it.

The Hard Truth: Well-being Is a Business Strategy, Not a Perk

The future of work is here, and employees are demanding more.

Source: Personify Health, '2024 Employee Survey Report.' Used for educational and commentary purposes.

This isn’t a “nice-to-have” anymore. Well-being is a competitive advantage.

Companies that invest in well-being strategically (beyond just perks) see:

  • 3x higher employee engagement

  • 2.5x greater innovation

  • 23% higher profitability (Gallup, 2023)

But here’s the problem: Most well-being programs fail.

Not because Leadership and HR don’t care, but because well-being is often treated as a list of benefits, not an integrated business strategy.

Employees don’t just want a paycheck. They want to feel valued. Seen. Supported. They need a workplace where well-being is integrated into culture, leadership, and daily operations.

That means…

  • Not ignoring the lack of recognition

  • Not mistaking free snacks for real well-being

  • Not making mental health a one-month campaign

Instead, it means building a well-being infrastructure—one that actively supports employees in a sustainable, meaningful healthy way.

Five Actionable Steps to Strengthen Your Well-being Infrastructure.

You have the power to reshape how your organization approaches employee well-being. It starts with action.

1️⃣ Check Leadership’s Buy-in

  • Do your executives genuinely prioritize well-being, or is it just a box to check?

  • Well-being must be measured like any other business KPI—because it directly affects performance, retention, and profitability.

2️⃣ Stop Treating Well-being as a Perk

  • Well-being isn’t a program. It’s an approach to leadership.

  • It’s not just yoga Fridays and free snacks—it’s workload, psychological safety, and recognition.

Ask: Are we actually reducing stress, or just adding surface-level perks?

3️⃣ Listen to Your Employees—And Take Action

  • When was the last time you asked employees what they need for their well-being?

  • Run pulse surveys or focus groups—then act on what you learn.

  • People engage with well-being when they feel heard and valued.

4️⃣ Encourage Leaders to Model Well-being

  • Employees won’t use well-being benefits if their leaders never take breaks.

  • Encourage managers and executives to: Take time off, share personal well-being habits, and recognize and support employees’ well-being efforts.

  • Establish a Well-being Champions group—get employees involved in shaping initiatives, communicating benefits, and leading by example.

5️⃣ Track Engagement, Not Just Benefits Usage

  • Just because well-being benefits exist doesn’t mean they’re being used.

  • Track: Manager support for well-being, employee stress & engagement levels, and well-being program effectiveness (beyond participation rates).

This Is Just the Beginning…

This is the first of my weekly Better Employee Well-being newsletters.

Every week, I’ll be sharing:

  1. Actionable strategies and tools

  2. Research-backed industry insights

  3. Real-world stories of wins and lessons learned

…so that HR and Executive Leaders can build a well-being strategy that goes beyond perks—one that drives engagement, innovation, and business success.

🔜 Next week: How to Measure Employee Well-being Success (Beyond Surveys).

What resonated with you the most?

Drop your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear your take.

🔔 And if you’re ready to build a well-being infrastructure that actually works, hit subscribe for more insights every week!

Let’s make work a place where people don’t just show up—but flourish. 💚

See you in the comments—or next week!

— Estela

Estela Barraza