Workplace Wellbeing in 2026: How HR Can Retain Mid-Level Leaders Through Heart-Led Renewal & Performance
HR leaders, let’s be candid:
Your mid-level leaders are the execution engine of your business—the bridge between strategy and results. But today, many of them are carrying more personal life complexity than your existing workplace wellbeing programs account for—divorce transitions, caregiving fatigue, grief journeys, role overload, and burnout. They show up anyway—until they can’t...often silently quitting.
In quarter one of 2026, workplace wellbeing is no longer a “perk.” It’s a retention strategy, a performance driver, and a talent engagement imperative!
The Data Driving the Conversation
Here’s what national research tells us:
• 84% of employees experience workplace stress or well-being challenges each year—and mid-level leaders are among the most impacted. Source: Workplace wellbeing benchmark data
• Employees who feel supported by their employer on workplace well-being are 13% more productive and 70% more engaged in their roles. Source: National workplace wellbeing index
• 69% of HR leaders indicate that well-being initiatives influence retention decisions. Source: HR industry research reports
• Organizations with comprehensive workplace well-being strategies outperform competitors by 2.5x in retention and succession rates.
These aren’t soft metrics. These are business outcomes that affect your bottom line.
1. Gallup Workplace Wellbeing Index Gallup consistently reports that employees with strong well-being are more resilient in the face of life-work stressors and are more likely to stay in their roles longer—a key predictor of retention in 2026. Gallup’s data underscores the link between well-being strategies and performance outcomes, not just program participation.
2. The National Safety Council (Workers’ Compensation/Return-to-Work Trends) The NSC and related occupational health benchmarks have expanded to include well-being as integral to comprehensive return-to-work outcomes. When organizations embed well-being into return-to-work strategy, injured or transitioning employees reintegrate more successfully, with lower relapse rates and higher job satisfaction—a model HR can adapt across workforce segments, including mid-level leaders navigating personal challenges.
This aligns with my corporate leadership background and reinforces that well-being isn’t a siloed benefit—it’s part of your core overall organizational strategy.
The Real Problem: Activation
Here’s the gap most organizations miss: It’s not that well-being programs don’t exist. It’s that employees—especially high-performing mid-level leaders—don’t use them, or they feel unsafe doing so.
A Gallup study shows only 38% of workers believe their company genuinely prioritizes well-being. That tells me something important: People don’t want gimmicks. They want relevance, connection, clarity, and outcomes.
They want guidance—not glossy literature.
Why Mid-Level Leaders Matter
Your mid-level leaders:
• Manage execution • Influence direct reports • Translate strategy into outcomes • Mentor emerging talent • Balance stakeholder expectations
Yet they also: • Carry invisible personal challenges • Experience burnout • Hesitate to ask for help or accommodations. (temporary or permanent)
When they struggle, retention drops and productivity slows.
This is not just a well-being issue. It’s a leadership continuity issue.
Employers Leading with Impact
Organizations recognized for strong well-being strategies include:
• Unilever—embeds well-being into daily leadership practices, resulting in measurable increases in engagement and decreases in turnover.
• NVIDIA—offers caregiver support, resilience training, and resources that mid-level leaders report as “game-changing” for work-life integration after personal challenges.
Studies from these firms show that when leaders feel supported as humans first, they lead better, retain teams, and drive performance.
Two 2026 First Quarter Workplace Wellbeing Strategies HR Can Implement:
1. Experiential Renewal
Mid-level leaders don’t want another flyer. They need transformative experiences that equip them with practical skills to manage real-life stressors and excel at work.
Experiential renewal workshops—especially ones focused on growing forward after personal challenges like divorce, grief, or caregiving fatigue—move people from overwhelm to renewed clarity and confidence. That’s retention psychology while at work.
2. Equip Managers to Lead With Psychological Safety
Decision-ready workplaces are created by leaders who know how to listen, respond, and support.
Data shows 69% of employees say their manager most influences their sense of workplace well-being. When you train managers to hold psychologically safe spaces, culture shifts from policy compliance to human performance.
My Renewal Solution
I get it—because I lived it. At various times, I walked through divorce, caregiving stress, and loss—and I didn’t just survive afterward. I renewed with heart-led purpose and passion.
After 22 years leading national corporate teams—including return-to-work and managed care national leadership—I created a solution that helps HR deliver real workplace wellbeing and renewal outcomes:
R.I.S.E.™ Experiential Workshops + My Book "When Your Soul Whispers" + Optional 1:1 or Group Coaching. This isn’t generic well-being. This is strategic renewal that equips leaders to grow forward with clarity, confidence, and tenacity after experiencing personal challenges—reducing turnover and strengthening culture.
Call to Action
If you’re ready to transform workplace wellbeing from a checkbox to a retention engine, let’s connect. I’m offering complimentary strategy calls for HR, Employee Relations, Talent, and Organizational Development and other leaders this quarter.
Book your Workplace Wellbeing Strategy call today.
References: Global wellbeing: only ~33% of employees are thriving, while stress and struggle remain high. Gallup.com • Daily workplace stress affects a large portion of the workforce. Gallup.com. Gallup, State of the Global Workplace: 2025 — global employee life evaluation and stress metrics. Gallup.com. Employees who feel cared for are more likely to stay, be engaged, and thrive. Gallup.com. Workplace data collection and well-being measurement strategies. nsc.org Workplace well-being is positioned as part of organizational health culture and long-term retention. nsc.org National Safety Council Workplace Well-Being Hub — data collection and analysis resources. nsc.org and Gallup.com, worklife.digital, Wellhub