HR Zone: Healthy CEOs, hurting workforces: What’s behind the 48% wellbeing gap?

As part of the Return on Wellbeing 2025 Study published by Wellhub, Dr Jo Burrell, clinical psychologist and co-founder of Ultimate Resilience, provides vital insights into why many workplace wellbeing initiatives fail to create real impact. Her contribution underscores a fundamental flaw in current approaches: a focus on surface-level solutions rather than addressing the root causes of employee stress and burnout.

In this article for HR Zone magazine about the 48% wellbeing gap, Dr Burrell emphasises the importance of strategic intent in wellbeing provision, cautioning against "tokenistic offers" that ignore core workplace stressors. “Employees won’t engage with support that doesn’t feel relevant or timely,” she explains. Instead, she advocates for tailored solutions built on a deep understanding of employee needs. “CEOs may see wellbeing as strategic, but many skip the strategy. Too often, interventions are chosen for their popularity or polish, not their relevance.”

Her perspective reinforces the study’s broader message: to bridge the wellbeing gap between executives and employees, organisations must go beyond investment alone and create thoughtful, employee-informed strategies that deliver meaningful, lasting change.

Get in touch to find out more about how we at Ultimate Resilience tailor our approach to wellbeing at work.