From stress to strategy: How businesses can tackle Australia’s wellbeing crisis

Australia is facing a wellbeing crisis hiding in plain sight, and business leaders are no longer bystanders, writes Ingrid Jenkins.

For years, workplace wellbeing has been treated as a human resources issue. Important, yes, but ultimately secondary to “core” business priorities like growth, productivity, and cost control. In 2026, that distinction no longer holds. The scale and persistence of poor mental health, fatigue and delayed access to care mean wellbeing has become a strategic business challenge, one that directly shapes performance, retention, and trust.

The statistics are hard to ignore. Sonder’s data shows that 70 per cent of employees report experiencing poor mental health symptoms in the past year, driven primarily by stress, anxiety, and depression. At the same time, 92 per cent of workers say they feel generally fatigued or low on energy. These aren’t edge cases or temporary pressures. They are widespread signals of a system under strain.

As healthcare access tightens and cost-of-living pressures grow, workplaces have become the default frontline of mental health support. When people can’t get timely care through traditional channels, they turn to the place where they spend most of their waking hours: work.

Yet many organisations, while well intentioned, are still relying on outdated, reactive wellbeing models. Annual wellbeing weeks. Posters in the lunchroom. An employee assistance program that a few people use and even fewer trust. These approaches are a step in the right direction, but ultimately no match for the realities employees are facing.

The gap between intent and impact is widening.

One of the clearest signals of this disconnect is when people seek help. Our data shows that nearly 40 per cent of people accessing mental health support from Sonder occur at night. This is outside standard business hours, outside traditional healthcare settings, and often in moments of acute need. This fact alone should force a rethink of how employers design wellbeing support. A system that only operates between nine and five is misaligned with when many people actually need help.

Access is another structural failure point. One in three workers delayed healthcare in the past year due to time constraints, cost concerns, or fear of stigma. These barriers are not abstract. They directly affect absenteeism, presenteeism, turnover and safety. When employees postpone care, issues escalate for both individuals and organisations.

The businesses that will lead in 2026 are those that stop treating wellbeing as a bolt-on and start embedding it into how work actually functions.

That means shifting from reactive programs to always-on strategies. From static benefits to dynamic, accessible support. From “we offer help” to “help is available when and how people need it”.

Technology has a critical role to play here, but it’s not a silver bullet. Digital healthcare, delivered responsibly, can remove many of the barriers that prevent people from seeking support – time, geography, cost, and stigma among them. When care is available 24/7, accessed discreetly, and integrated into everyday life, uptake changes. Early intervention becomes possible. Problems are addressed before they become crises.

Data is equally important. Organisations sit on a wealth of insight about when people struggle, where pressure points emerge, and which parts of the workforce are most at risk. Used ethically and at an aggregate level, this data can guide smarter decisions, from workload design to leadership capability to targeted support during high-risk periods.

Critically, this isn’t just about compassion. It’s about strategy.

Workplaces with embedded wellbeing support see stronger retention, lower absenteeism, and higher engagement. Employees who feel supported are more likely to stay, to contribute fully, and to trust their employer. In a tight labour market, that trust becomes a competitive advantage.

The alternative is costly. Burnout drives turnover. Fatigue increases safety risks. Untreated mental health issues erode productivity long before they result in resignation or leave. The price of inaction is already being paid. Just quietly, and often invisibly.

In 2026, the question for business leaders is no longer whether wellbeing matters. The question is whether they are prepared to treat it with the same rigour, investment, and strategic thinking as any other core business function.

Stress is no longer an individual failing. It’s a system outcome. And systems can be redesigned.

The organisations that recognise this, and act accordingly, won’t just support healthier people. They’ll build stronger, more productive businesses in the process.

Ingrid Jenkins is the chief people officer at Sonder.