More than one in three (35%) companies are ‘wellbeing-washing’, according to research from Claro Wellbeing - i.e. sharing social media posts, holding charity bake sales and sponsored walks to raise awareness of mental health conditions but not offering much to employees to improve their wellbeing. Despite employers talking much more about mental health at work, wellbeing-washing is the term being given to those companies that are ‘all talk, no action’.

Overall, the research found that 71% of organisations take part in mental health awareness initiatives, despite only over a third (36%) offering ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ mental health benefits to employees, according to their staff.

More than one million Twitter posts were shared last year using the #WorldMentalHealthDay hashtag on 10 October. Meanwhile, 21% of workers said their employer showed support of the awareness day on at least one social media platform.

At the very least, businesses accused of wellbeing-washing could prompt an eye-roll, says Claro Wellbeing. At worst, they could be labelled as hypocritical or of guilty of ‘virtue signalling’ as well as running the risk of damaging relationships with staff.

Raising awareness of mental health challenges is important and helps create an environment where everyone feels comfortable speaking about their own experiences. But along with tweets, raffles and coffee mornings, organisations need to also provide accessible and diverse support to their staff to make any improvement to their wellbeing.

Stigma is defined as a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person. There is a strong social stigma attached to mental ill health, and people with mental health problems can experience discrimination in all aspects of their lives.

International Workplace's health and safety trainer and mental health first aid instructor, Mark Barrett, says:

“Strong and active leadership by senior management of an organisation is key to managing health and safety in the workplace and this includes mental health. Many organisations will celebrate and publicise mental health awareness days but there is more that could be done. This requires employers to promote mental health and wellbeing in the workplace by saying ‘It’s ok not to be ok’ and this is what we can do to assist and support you.

“With the COVID-19 pandemic and the current cost of living crisis, the number of employees that are encountering stress, anxiety and depression has increased significantly, so employers should recognise the signs and encourage all their employees to have conversations about mental health. This is not just about providing an employee with the details of an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) should someone want to have a conversation around mental health. Employers should have a suitable number of trained mental health first aiders in the organisation who are qualified to recognise the signs and initiate the conversation with a fellow employee.”

Claro Wellbeing recommends:

• Don’t just talk about wellbeing - make meaningful changes to support your staff.
• Wellbeing is not one-size-fits-all. Speak to your staff or do an audit to understand their needs. It may be that you need to introduce a range of tailored options that could include digital services, apps and one-on-one coaching. Our research shows the most popular type of wellbeing support provided to employees is access to a helpline, the opportunity to see a counsellor and trained mental health first aiders. This isn’t about spending the most money - but creating a diverse range of meaningful benefits to reflect your workforce.
• Identify key performance indicators (KPIs) that you can track, measure and report on. These could include absence and productivity rates as well as staff morale. When the numbers change, ask yourself if anything else internal or external could have impacted them.
• Work on creating a culture of wellbeing. This involves coming up with an authentic, long-term strategy that can be explained to staff and implemented across the board, from new graduates to the CEO.
• Be clear with your employees on what you want to achieve with supporting their wellbeing and be honest that it may take time.

International Workplace’s recently released guide explores how line managers can help improve workplace wellbeing. All the content in the guide is taken directly from our accredited IOSH Managing Occupational Health and Wellbeing course.