Mental Health Awareness Week: The impact of emerging tech on employees’ mental wellbeing

This should be a top priority for all business leaders even during times of change and innovation. This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week acts as a perfect reminder for organisations about the best practices that all employers should be doing to support their staff.

Many business leaders in 2025 are focused on AI – they all want to jump on the bandwagon to utilise the technology whilst reaping the time and cost saving rewards it promises. But with this focus on improved productivity through AI, many employees will be left questioning what it means for their future and begin to experience feelings of anxiety about their long-term employment and economic security.

Richard Gadd, SVP & General Manager EMEAI at Commvault, recognises how increasing cyber threats can add to the effects of AI fuelling fears around job security; “Despite discussions around mental health and wellbeing in the workplace increasing, it is still an extremely prevalent issue. Cyber threats add even more pressure to this. With fewer resources and rising expectations, people are being asked to do more with less. Just a quick scroll through LinkedIn can be enough to send anyone into panic mode, with constant reminders of the threats present for all businesses. There’s a real stigma and fear brewing around cyberattacks – who’s responsible, who’s ready, and what happens if things go wrong?”

He continues, “With today’s increasing threat landscape, the need for robust cyber resilience is more important than ever. For many, this feels like being in the eye of the storm – overwhelmed, underprepared, and in a race to catch up. Employers should be aware of the personal effects that cyberattacks can have on their teams and provide support where needed. The fallout of cyberattacks can be damaging to both the business and its employees, and Mental Health Awareness Week brings a stark reminder of this.”

Despite mental health being an increasingly widely discussed topic, more conversations still need to be facilitated about how to better support employees. Alex Pusenjak, Global VP People & Culture at Fluent Commerce, highlights how “prevention is better than cure. However, a recent report from Deloitte highlighted that nearly two in three UK workers are experiencing at least one characteristic of burnout – a statistic that is increasingly rising.”

“As an employer, one of the best approaches we can take to look after our team’s mental wellbeing is to take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach”, says Pusenjak. “The main focus should be creating a culture where employees feel safe talking about how they feel. Whether this be signposting to online resources, having a qualified Mental Health First Aider, or providing space for employees who would like to share concerns, there are ample approaches that employers can take to support their employee’s mental health.”

With this year’s theme for Mental Health Awareness Week being ‘community’, organisations should consider how this applies to their employee strategies. “The saying is true: ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’” says Hugh Scantlebury, CEO and Founder of Aqilla. “A workplace community is arguably one of the most important. Yet, these communities are often not nurtured in the way they should be. This neglect may be because business leaders don’t know where to begin. Building a community can seem like a difficult task with no tangible end goal, but it is all about creating an empathetic culture in which employees feel accepted and heard.”

Scantlebury adds: “Showing employees that you value their time and see them as more than just a staff member contributes to the culture of acceptance and empathy. This is central to everything we do at Aqilla. Indeed, we founded the company to deliver a software solution that automates and speeds up core accounting and financial tasks to alleviate pressure and stress and free up employees’ time. Whilst this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is a great reminder to build a workplace community, it is not a tick box exercise. Business leaders must foster a positive workplace culture all year round to truly build a sense of community that makes employees feel safe, happy and accepted.”

It is clear that organisations must continue to focus on building comprehensive, responsive, and innovative support systems that truly cater for their employees’ mental health, ensuring that they are looking after those who need it most.