The Burnout Blame Game: Who's responsibile for mental health in the workplace?
Ah, burnout. That delightful state of complete physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that somehow feels like a rite of passage in the modern workplace. If you’ve ever looked at your diary and think you might as well be asked to solve a Rubik’s Cube blindfolded, let me assure you: it’s not just you. Burnout, depression, and anxiety aren’t merely the unfortunate byproducts of a hectic work schedule—they’re the end results of poor management, toxic people and sometimes ecosystems that seem more dedicated to squeezing every drop of life out of employees than fostering a healthy workplace culture. In our Aotearoa New Zealand, where the air is fresh, the scenery breathtaking, and the coffee strong, the stigma surrounding mental health looms large. Here, discussing anything beyond the weather—let alone emotive content like anxiety or regret—can feel like stepping into a lion's den wearing nothing but a meat suit. Recently it took nearly six months to convince a friend to see his GP
