What are the six enablers of workplace wellbeing?

The six enablers in the Global Wellness Institute’s 2026 framework are: shared understanding, leadership and manager capability, systems, access and infrastructure, measurement, feedback and evaluation, alignment with mission and strategy, and governance and accountability. They work as a continuous cycle: assess, align, act, track.

How many employees feel burned out because of their job?

According to the 2026 NAMI-Ipsos Workplace Mental Health Poll, 53% of employees feel burned out because of their job. In the same poll, 26% have considered quitting because of work’s impact on their mental health.

What role do managers play in workplace wellbeing?

The Global Wellness Institute’s framework treats manager capability as one of six enablers of workplace wellbeing. Managers need to hold meaningful wellbeing conversations, notice when workloads become unsustainable, and adjust expectations. Organizations reinforce these behaviors when they include them in leadership goals and performance measures.

How can HR measure workplace wellbeing beyond engagement scores?

The Global Wellness Institute’s 2026 framework recommends going beyond engagement scores and benefit usage. HR teams can ask employees about workload, fairness, trust and safety, track metrics tied to each wellbeing pillar, and use that feedback to find problems and check whether changes are helping.

Hello Community,

The 2026 NAMI-Ipsos Workplace Mental Health Poll shows a snapshot of how people experience the workplace:

53% of employees feel burned out because of their job
26% have considered quitting because of work’s impact on their mental health.

So how long can an organization stay resilient when its work consumes the capacity of its people?

This week, in partnership with Counslr, we explore the Global Wellness Institute’s new Workplace Wellbeing Framework and what it asks of leaders.

Inside this Edition:

Six enablers of workplace wellbeing transformation
Flexible Learning is now fully available for Premium and Premium+
Upcoming bootcamps
Hacking HR 2027 conferences, summits and more
Explore our holiday gift guide

HR INSIGHTS | WORKPLACE WELLBEING

The Six Enablers of Workplace Wellbeing

Q: What is the Global Wellness Institute’s Workplace Wellbeing Framework?

The Global Wellness Institute published the framework in September 2026. It names eight pillars that shape how people experience work, from leadership and culture to workload, financial wellbeing, safety and opportunities for growth. It also names six enablers: the leadership capabilities, systems, resources and accountability organizations need to improve those pillars.

Six enablers of workplace wellbeing, adapted from the Global Wellness Institute.

The Global Wellness Institute's new Workplace Wellbeing Framework identifies eight pillars that influence how people experience work, from leadership and culture to workload, financial wellbeing, safety, and opportunities for growth.

But recognizing those conditions is only the beginning. Organizations also need the leadership capabilities, systems, resources, and accountability to improve them.

The framework identifies six enablers that help make this possible:

Shared understanding. Build a common language around wellbeing. Help employees and leaders recognize how workload, relationships, psychological safety, and organizational practices affect people's health and capacity to perform.
Leadership and manager capability. Equip managers to have meaningful wellbeing conversations, recognize when workloads become unsustainable, and adjust expectations. Reinforce these behaviors through leadership goals and performance measures.
Systems, access, and infrastructure. Make support easy to find and use. Introduce resources during onboarding, explain how employees can access them, and ensure policies and services reflect different needs and working arrangements.
Measurement, feedback, and evaluation. Look beyond engagement scores and benefit usage. Ask employees about workload, fairness, trust, and safety. Use their feedback to identify problems and evaluate whether changes are helping.
Alignment with organizational mission and strategy. Include workforce wellbeing in business planning. Consider team capacity when setting goals, allocate resources, and examine whether organizational decisions support long-term performance.
Governance and accountability. Give leaders clear responsibilities, involve employees in decisions, and review wellbeing progress alongside other business priorities.

These enablers work together. For example, making mental health support more accessible can help employees get assistance when they need it, while changes to workloads, leadership practices, and organizational systems address the conditions affecting their wellbeing.

According to Counslr, 89% of its users had never used their available mental health resources before, and 61% of sessions take place outside traditional business hours.

👉 Explore how Counslr helps make mental health support more accessible.

Workplace well-being, a business imperative and leadership responsibility.

Taking care of capacity applies to learning too. Flexible Learning lets you grow your skills without adding another meeting to your week.

HACKING HR LAB UPDATES

Now all Premium and Premium+ members have access to Flexible Learning!

You can now access the programs our faculty delivered live and learn at your own pace. There are no live classes or sessions to join, and no deadlines. Simply watch the on-demand class recordings, follow along in your workbook, and check off each required activity in your dashboard as you complete it.

Preview of Hacking HR Flexible Learning on-demand classes.

If you learn best with others in the room, here’s what’s coming up across the community.

HACKING HR COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

Bootcamps starting next week (led by Enrique Rubio)

Hacking HR Chicago Chapter Meet-up

Chicago Chapter Year-end Social. Nov 11, 2026 | 5:30 PM CST | House of Blues Chicago, North Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL, USA.

2027 CONFERENCES & SUMMITS

BUILD CONFERENCE

BUILD Conference. More than 224 HR leaders have already registered for Hacking HR’s first major in-person conference that will take place on March 10, 2027, at the Center for the Performing Arts in Scottsdale, Arizona, with workshops the day before. ➡️ Join us!

If you are interested in volunteering, you can come to BUILD and help us with registration, logistics, and the room at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. You get the full attendee day, and the view from the inside. ➡️ Volunteer at BUILD

The Future is Humans & AI. In 2027, our AI x People Summit in London, co-hosted with People Strategy Hub, will be dedicated to HR, People Ops and People Leaders. Registration is open. Full agenda coming soon.

PARTNER EVENTS

HRFest Canada is a two-day festival for HR professionals, executives, and people leaders, taking place November 10–11, 2026 at Rebel, Toronto. Hacking HR members can use the code HACKINGHR30 at checkout to receive a 30% discount on their registration. ➡️ Register today

And to end the year on a lighter note…

HACKING HR STORE

Holiday Gift Guide 2026

We created a full catalog of gifts for the office exchange, your HR team, and the colleagues you keep closer to your heart. There's something for every gift budget: stickers starting at $4.49, gifts under $10, and mugs, candles, and more under $25. Shopping for the whole team? Bulk pricing starts at 12 items. 👉 Shop the Holiday Gift Guide

Hacking HR Shop gift box marked “Approved,” with HR mugs and stickers.

SPONSORSHIPS

For CMOs in HR Tech

If you are a CMO in the HR Tech space, we would love to connect. Every Friday we host a Hacking HR Live Webinar Planning session with Q&A at 09:00 AM Pacific Time. 👉 Register here→

Lead Workplace Wellbeing Transformation