Georgina WaiteBurnout has quietly become one of the biggest challenges facing today’s workplaces. Long hours, mounting pressures, and blurred boundaries between work and home life are leaving some employees disengaged, exhausted, and at risk of serious mental health issues.
In the UK, poor mental health accounts for more than half of all work-related illnesses, and around 51% of long-term sick leave is linked to stress, depression, or anxiety. In fact, poor mental health has been found to cost UK employers £51bn a year, and, if left unchecked, this number could continue to rise dramatically.
Organisations often scramble to fix the problem with short-term measures – wellness apps, resilience training, or time off. While these initiatives have value, they rarely address the underlying causes of burnout. It’s clear that the solution actually lies in fostering workplace cultures that are conducive to positive mental health and wellbeing – and workplace mentoring and coaching can play a central role in this.
Mentoring and coaching delivers measurable impact
Mentoring and coaching is far more than a “nice-to-have”, or a box to tick for businesses. It equips employees with the skills, confidence, and resilience needed to thrive, even under pressure. Our new research shows clear evidence of this impact. Among businesses who have engaged in workplace mentoring and coaching, 70% reported a positive impact on their overall performance, 61% saw improvements in employee wellbeing, and 66% said programmes have boosted employee retention and talent attraction – all demonstrating tangible indicators of business growth.
These figures reflect more than just a correlation, they show the power of sustained, relational support over time. In short, mentoring and coaching helps people feel stronger, more capable and more supported, while enabling organisations to become more agile, resilient and sustainable.
Why mentoring and coaching works
Work today is fast-paced and unpredictable, and conventional wellbeing programmes rarely address the relational side of workplace health. They can offer temporary relief, but they do not build trust, continuity, or personal agency. Mentoring and coaching fills that gap.
When a mentee meets regularly with a knowledgeable, committed mentor or coach, they gain a safe space for conversation and reflection, a sounding board for challenges and a source of honest feedback. Over time, they build confidence, learn to navigate complexity and develop vital career and often leadership skills.
Mentors and coaches, too, benefit by strengthening their own empathy, listening and coaching abilities. This mutual growth creates a foundation of trust and resilience that protects against the risk burnout, in turn benefiting both the individual and the organisation.
Creating a mentoring and coaching culture
Too often, mentoring and coaching is treated as a reactive measure: something to implement when a team is struggling, a leader is under pressure, or turnover is rising. But this approach underestimates its potential.
When organisations embed mentoring and coaching into their culture, all the way through from onboarding through to leadership development, it becomes part of the fabric of how they operate. It uncovers potential early, supports employees during transitions, and strengthens connection across teams. The result is more distributed leadership, stronger talent pipelines, and cultures where people feel supported before stress reaches breaking point.
Mentoring and coaching as a proactive solution
The conversation around burnout usually centres on what individuals can do to cope. But businesses have a responsibility to create the right environment for their people to succeed. By investing in mentoring and coaching, organisations aren’t just supporting their people – they’re strengthening their future.
It is time to shift perspective. Mentoring and coaching should not be seen as a nice-to-have or an optional extra embedded in HR departments. It is a strategic investment that strengthens people, fuels growth and builds resilience. When done proactively, mentoring and coaching can be the antidote to burnout, and one of the most powerful tools we have to build thriving, resilient workplaces.
Georgina Waite is CEO of the Association of Business Mentors (ABM)
