Sarah Hadden on Compliance Officer Stress and Burnout [Podcast]

By Adam Turteltaub Stress can be a good thing. Burnout, though, is something altogether different and very real for compliance professionals. Sarah Hadden (LinkedIn), CEO and Publisher of Corporate Compliance Insights shares in this podcast the not always encouraging data on stress and burnout from their 2025 Compliance Officer Working Conditions, Stress & Mental Health survey. The research did reveal some very good news. Compliance officers are generally happy with their work. They have a sense of purpose and feel that what they are doing is important. The findings also revealed a small but notable increase in the belief that the organization is supportive of compliance efforts. On the other side of the coin, though, only 7% said that job stress was not an issue. More concerning, 51% reported that they are experiencing burnout. What causes that burnout? A variety of factors are in play including the fast pace of regulations, personal liability fears, lack of time and resources and even AI. One of the greatest causes of stress, the survey revealed, is reporting structure, with those reporting to legal, rather than to leadership or the board, being the least satisfied and most stressed out. Listen in to learn more, unless, of course, it’s going to stress you out. Listen now Sponsored by Ethena - automated compliance training, an employee hotline, and case management, all in one tool.