By Michel Suárez.-
Workplace mental health is no longer just a matter of benefits; it has become a matter of organizational architecture. This was the central argument presented by the Vacation is a Human Right (VIAHR) Foundation at the seventh SBC Forum 2026—Spain’s largest conference dedicated to health, well-being, and work-life balance.
“Burnout and mental health in the workplace are prevented through the company’s own organizational architecture. Benefits are merely supplementary tools unless they are integrated into a culture where conscious pausing is part of management and the company’s identity,” explained Silvia Costantini, Lead Strategic Advisor at VIAHR.
The theme chosen for the 2026 edition was the tyranny of the “always-on” culture: the impact of hyper-connectivity on the health of both individuals and companies. This theme ran through the entire event, touching on everything from decision fatigue and insomnia to artificial intelligence and the four-day workweek. It provided the backdrop for the “Compliance and Psychosocial Responsibility” panel—a discussion dedicated to new obligations regarding mental health, the right to disconnect, and harassment prevention.
Costantini shared the stage with Sonia Jadraque, founder of IM-Paciente (which analyzes chronic illness within organizations), and María Leal, CEO and founder of Plennio. Leal highlighted a “silent risk”: the employee who is caring for a family member and arrives at the office already carrying an invisible burden.
Costantini’s argument challenges the widespread misconception that views burnout as an individual weakness. “We need to look at the problem from a broader perspective. If a worker suffers from burnout, it is an indicator of a system that is not sustainable.” “A conscious pause is neither an absence of work nor a concession. It is a competency and a tool for growth—an intentional act that allows one to regain clarity, focus, and the ability to make decisions,” stated the VIAHR advisor.
Performance, she added, depends not only on hours worked but on the quality of attention, and that quality requires recovery: “Organizations that do not integrate this into their systems end up eroding their own capacity to perform.”
Regarding the right to disconnect digitally, the stance was equally clear: the regulation is necessary, but it must be applied intelligently. There is a risk of “cosmetic” compliance—a mere paragraph in the code of ethics, a memo, and little else. “The law mandates a protocol; company culture compels you to live it. True disconnection is something that must be designed,” she says.
“It is the natural outcome of a well-structured organization where processes are clear and workloads are sustainable. In such an environment, the need to be constantly connected simply vanishes,” the expert maintains.
The distinction VIAHR draws is sharp. “We approach this through the lens of strategy, not just well-being.” It is a position the foundation will present this November at the United Nations headquarters in New York, where it will hold its 4th International Congress.
The event in Spain was attended by HR leaders from Aon, Cigna, BBVA, Porsche Ibérica, SEUR, Quirónsalud, Grupo Antípodas, DONTE Group, KPMG, and Fundación ONCE, among other organizations.
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