Executives should own wellbeing – but who’s watching the watchers? 

Employee wellbeing has moved from the margins to the mainstream. Once considered a perk or a personal responsibility, it’s now recognised as a core business priority – one that directly influences performance, retention, and organisational resilience. 

Executives are therefore paying closer attention to the wellbeing of their workforce, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because healthier, happier employees drive better business outcomes. But as the spotlight intensifies on supporting others, a critical question emerges: who’s supporting the leaders themselves? 

To better understand this question and other wellbeing trends, we’ve explored some of the standout findings from our 2025 Working Well Report, based on insights from over 3,600 employers and employees, including exclusive C-suite insights from over 370 executive-level professionals. 

The hidden strain at the top 

Executives are expected to champion wellbeing across their organisation. But senior leaders are people too, each with their own wellbeing challenges and considerations. And in many cases, it’s the C-suite that may be bearing the greater burden. 

Our latest C-suite wellbeing research reveals a striking truth: senior leaders are among the most stressed professionals in the workforce. Most of the professionals we surveyed across all levels of seniority (54%) report often feeling workplace stress, but this figure jumps to 64% for executives.  

Moreover, with the C-suite’s professional remit continuing to widen in scope, there’s a risk that leaders may be stretched thin. While 57% of employees say they regularly work beyond contracted hours, 83% of executives say this the case. Moreover, nearly half of C-suite professionals (48%) struggle to switch off after work, with a similar number unable to disconnect even when on annual leave (47%). 

Despite these pressures, most executives (56%) believe they’ve achieved a good work-life balance. But does this mean that workplace stress is becoming the new norm for today’s leaders, and what precedent does this set for organisations looking to embed and promote positive wellbeing to their wider workforce? 

Why executive wellbeing matters 

Leaders are clearly aware of the importance of healthy workforces; a resounding 97% of C-suite leaders agree that positive employee wellbeing is vital to organisational success. But what’s less widely acknowledged is the importance of executive wellbeing. Leaders could have an outsized impact over employee wellbeing, setting the tone for organisational culture and modelling healthy behaviours that can create a positive ripple effect.  

Reflecting this, one-in-four of executives (24%) believe that they are most responsible for improving employee wellbeing – more so than people managers (8%), HR/wellbeing leads (7%) or employees (7%).  

But when executives themselves are burned out, it can undermine even the best-intentioned wellbeing strategies. And amid the trend of high executive turnover, a lack of wellbeing support could see organisations lose their best leaders. Our report highlights that 31% of executives have left a role due to inadequate wellbeing support, and 37% have considered it.  

How executives can prioritise positive wellbeing 

Wellbeing doesn’t just concern executives with ‘people’ in their title. From CTO to CFO, the entire C-suite plays a crucial role in promoting positive wellbeing and advocating for improvement. So, what can leaders do to protect their own wellbeing while championing it for others? 

1. Role-model self-care 

Leaders must give themselves permission to rest, recharge, and set boundaries. Taking annual leave, logging off after hours, and prioritising health shouldn’t be seen as indulgent, but an important facet of sustainable leadership. Moreover, participating in workplace wellbeing initiatives and services can help drive engagement, and send a clear message that wellbeing isn’t just for the wider workforce. 

2. Advocate wellbeing 

The best way for leaders to improve their own wellbeing may be to advocate it on an organisational level. Competing boardroom interests and budget restrictions can put wellbeing to the wayside, but it’s critical that leaders can communicate the business prerogative of positive employee wellbeing when influencing other senior leaders and securing stakeholder buy-in. When a direct correlation is drawn between employee wellbeing and talent retention or absenteeism rates, key decision makers are more likely to take notice. 

3. Embrace flexible working 

Despite the common perception that leaders should be the one’s upholding traditional ways of working – or the first-in and last to leave – outdated notions like these only serve to exacerbate poor executive and employee wellbeing. While leaders are more often required to be visible in the workplace, they shouldn’t be discounted from flexible working options. Over three-quarters (77%) of the executives we surveyed say that the option to work in a hybrid way has positively impacted their wellbeing, and when leaders themselves work flexibly, this can signal that employees’ careers won’t be penalised when doing so themselves. 

4. Create a culture of openness 

Leaders should make it clear that talking about stress, burnout, and mental health isn’t taboo. When executives share their own experiences, it can help engender psychological safety for others to do the same. However, it’s equally important that any verbal commitments to wellbeing aren’t just tokenistic. Only 35% of executives believe their organisation’s spoken commitment to employee wellbeing aligns with action, with employees being even more sceptical (30%). Leaders should therefore ensure any proposed wellbeing initiatives are achievable and match the needs of their people. 

Leadership wellbeing isn’t a luxury 

While it is positive that employee wellbeing has moved into the general parlance of leadership and long-term business outcomes, it’s clear that more must be done to ensure that those largely responsible for driving wellbeing are in sound health themselves. Paradoxically, one of the best ways for leaders to improve the wellbeing of their wider workforce may be to prioritise their own first. Because when leaders thrive, organisations do too. 

For more employee wellbeing insights and recommendations, be sure to read the full findings from our Hays UK 2025 Working Well Report, and don’t miss our exclusive C-suite insights for leaders.