Human Resources teams are often seen as the designers of employee well-being. They are the ones who create benefits packages, evaluate wellness programs, negotiate with providers, and communicate offerings to employees.
In many companies, HR sets the tone for how the organisation cares for its people. Yet, behind the scenes, there is an irony: while HR professionals build the benefits strategy, many of them rarely use it themselves.
The hidden gap in benefit utilisation
Industry research continues to show that HR professionals often struggle to access or prioritise the very benefits they help implement. While they are instrumental in shaping workplace wellbeing, the pressure of supporting others often leaves little space to care for themselves. A 2024 report from The Wellbeing Project found that 81% of HR leaders are experiencing burnout, while only 41% feel they can effectively switch off from work.
Despite strong peer support, many HR teams remain under-supported by the systems they help design, revealing a critical disconnect. As the emotional and operational demands on HR grow, so too does the need for better, more accessible support for the people at the centre of workforce wellbeing.
Several reasons contribute to this trend of HR leaders underutilising benefits. Firstly, the time demands on HR are relentless. From managing employee relations to overseeing compliance, benefits, and internal communications, HR professionals are often overextended. When crisis moments arise, such as layoffs or leadership changes, it’s often HR that carries the emotional burden, leaving little time or energy for self-care.
Cultural pressures and perceived expectations
Beyond workload, there are cultural dynamics at play. HR professionals frequently feel pressure to model resilience. There’s an unspoken belief that those who support others should appear strong and unwavering. As a result, taking a mental health day or stepping back to use therapy services might feel inappropriate, or worse, like a sign of weakness.
This self-imposed standard contributes to a cycle where HR becomes the exception to the well-being policies it implements. Even in organisations with progressive cultures, HR staff can feel isolated by their dual role as both enforcer and recipient. They often feel they must embody the brand of the company, coming across as always composed and available, leaving little room for vulnerability.
Consequences for teams and culture
When HR doesn’t use the benefits it promotes, the consequences ripple through the organisation, often felt through the creation of a credibility gap. Employees are less likely to fully trust or engage with benefits if they don’t see leadership, including HR teams, using them. It can also give the impression that these programmes are more performative than practical.
Secondly, when HR professionals aren’t personally engaging with wellness offerings, they miss important feedback opportunities. By experiencing benefits firsthand, whether that is with mental health support, fertility assistance, or financial planning tools, HR teams can gain a critical more perspective for improving programs. Without it, decisions are made from a distance, and blind spots persist.
Most significantly, HR professionals themselves are at risk. Burnout and disengagement can quietly erode the effectiveness of those tasked with supporting everyone else. If the caretakers aren’t cared for, the entire people strategy suffers.
Shifting toward an inclusive benefits culture
Solving this disconnect starts at the top. Executive leaders should be actively encouraging HR teams to use benefits, not just manage them. That means modelling behaviour, by talking openly about attending therapy, taking sabbaticals where applicable, or prioritising wellness. Visibility from leadership helps break down any stigma around benefit usage.
Within HR teams, there needs to be a cultural shift where self-care is normalised and encouraged. Managers should regularly check in with their employees on what benefits are being used and enjoyed and which could be revised. Businesses should be informing new employees of their benefits offering during onboarding, however it’s just as important to remind existing employees what they have at their disposal during team meetings, or performance reviews. This sends a clear message that these programmes are there to be used by everyone, including HR.
Tracking internal engagement can also help. Just as organisations measure benefits uptake across departments, HR should look inward and review its own participation. Using that data to guide internal wellness initiatives can reinforce the message that HR’s health matters too.
Leading by example
HR has the opportunity and responsibility to lead by example. By actively participating in the programmes they champion and promote, HR professionals can send a powerful message that taking care of yourself is a sign of strength. In doing so, they build cultures where well-being is prioritised.
When HR starts using the benefits it creates, everyone wins. It strengthens credibility, improves programme design, and most importantly, supports the well-being of the people who constantly support everyone else.
Jo’s career in HR has spanned several sectors, including hospitality, luxury retail and PR. She has a natural affinity for pulling people and process together to enable the effective delivery of the HR agenda and business strategy.
Jo is passionate about employee relations and employee benefits and across her 20+ year career has become well accustomed with reward and recognition and the positive impact they can have on keeping teams highly engaged and motivated.
