Awareness alone isn't enough. But without it, nothing works either.
Mental health at work is nothing new. But it's a topic that still gets treated too quietly in many organizations. Too abstract, too personal, too hard to pin down. And yet it has long since become part of everyday reality for HR professionals: in conversations with leaders who have hit their limit. In teams that keep functioning, but have stopped truly working together. In absenteeism that keeps rising — without anyone knowing why.
At the duple community event on April 28, 2026, we spoke openly about exactly that — together with voiio in Berlin-Kreuzberg. Honest, concrete, grounded in practice. Three women, three very different perspectives: Saskia Weigand as CHRO at the publisher Der Tagesspiegel, Tuba Vogel as Director People & Culture from a fast-growing environment, and Katja Hinz as founder of Studio Hinz, bringing the employment law lens.
What came out of it: no recipe.What came out of it: no recipe. But a lot of substance.
What we mean when we talk about mental health
Before HR can even begin to act, it's worth getting clear on one thing: what do we actually mean when we talk about mental health in the workplace?
In many cases, the conversation about mental health only starts when there are (subjectively) observed drops in performance or unusually explicit changes in behavior.
Katja Hinz put it clearly from a legal perspective: the concept of performance failure is a legally actionable term. But what good performance actually means, and at what point mental strain becomes legally relevant, remains a grey area for many organizations. There is a fine but important line between what an employer owes —— and what an employer can demand.And the same applies in reverse.
When the question arises whether mental health strain is caused by workload and internal conditions or by personal circumstances, the first thing to address is: what are we actually expecting from our leaders — and how are they doing in meeting those expectations? Where does my responsibility as an employer begin, and where does it end?
The duty of care protects employees from harassment and harmful working conditions — and sets a clear threshold: when the ability to work is seriously at risk.
Why leaders deserve particular attention
Leaders face a specific kind of pressure: they carry responsibility upward and downward at the same time. They are expected to provide stability they often don't have themselves. And in many organizations, they are still seen as the ones who will just figure it out.
For Saskia Weigand, one principle is central to her work at the publisher: you have to want to understand before you act. Ask leaders: where are their limits, how do they see their role, how are they doing, what are their challenges. Based on those answers, you can build effective processes and structures — instead of prescribing supposed one-size-fits-all solutions.
What does leadership really mean when it comes to handling pressure and responsibility? What do these people actually need from HR? The answer is often different from what you might expect.
How does HR recognize when a leader needs support?
Tuba Vogel has a very direct answer to that: look at the signals, not the words.
Performance or activity patterns can be indicators. Defensive reactions to feedback. No longer truly present in conversations — physically there, but mentally already somewhere else. These are signs that warrant seeking out a conversation.
But that assumes the conversation can actually happen in the first place. And that is far from a given.
The real problem: trust cannot be mandated.
All three speakers agreed on one point: tools and programs do little if the foundation is missing.
That foundation is trust. The conviction that I can speak openly about what is weighing on me — without negative consequences, and knowing that the conversation will be handled with discretion and professionalism. That as a leader, I won't appear weaker for saying: I'm at my limit right now.
This culture doesn't emerge from a single workshop. It develops through a consistent attitude — over time, across hierarchies, through the behavior of the people who carry responsibility.
What HR can actually do
Act early, don't just react
Many HR teams only get involved when things are already on fire.Many HR teams only get involved when things are already on fire. That's understandable — crises take priority. But prevention works differently.
Build structures for regular conversations before they become necessary. Check in with leaders before they burn out. Make support available before anyone has to ask for it. This takes resources — but far fewer than a long-term absence or a wave of turnover nobody saw coming.
One important note: building awareness is possible and essential even in smaller organizations. The budget for structured programs often comes later. The attitude can be there from the very beginning.
Give leaders the tools to act, not just awareness
Leaders often know that something is off — within themselves or in their team. What's missing are the tools.
How do I recognize overload in my team? How do I address someone in a way that isn't intrusive, but doesn't look away either? Where is the line between my duty of care and the privacy of my employees?
These are questions that need answers. Concrete, manageable, tested in practice. Communication and mental health training for leaders is a sensible approach here. But it needs depth — not just awareness.
Embed the topic structurally, don't just wish for it culturally
A culture of trust doesn't emerge from values on a website. It develops through clear responsibilities, documented measures, and consistent follow-through.
What does that mean in practice? Describe performance expectations clearly. Name the measures that can be taken. Know external support resources and communicate them actively — because sometimes that is the safest bridge: someone outside the organization to turn to.
From a legal perspective: there is no universal best practice. But there are good principles: transparency, expectation management, and a culture where — when in doubt — people ask rather than stay silent.
What this means in practice
Mental health at work is not purely an HR topic. It is a leadership topic and a culture topic. HR can be the engine that drives it forward. But only if leadership and the organization move with it.
The question is: do we have an attitude? And the question that follows is: which program fits that attitude?
And attitude doesn't come from another tool. It comes from conversations. Honest, open, sometimes uncomfortable conversations — exactly like the ones we had on April 28.
This post is a summary of the panel discussion from the duple community event "Mental Health at Work — How HR Empowers and Supports Leaders", held on April 28, 2026, together with voiio in Berlin-Kreuzberg. Want to join the next conversations? Come into our HR community or reach out to us on LinkedIn. We'd love to have you.