Wellbeing Washing: What It Is & How to Avoid It

Learn how to spot and steer clear of shallow wellness initiatives with our definitive guide to wellbeing washing  

In recent years, holistic wellbeing has gained traction in the corporate world as companies grow increasingly aware of the need to support their people. However, a new issue is emerging from this positive initiative: wellbeing washing.   

What is Wellbeing Washing?  

You may have heard of ‘greenwashing’, in which organisations seek to boost their brand by making false or misleading statements about their environmental practices. The term ‘wellbeing washing’ has now been coined in response to insincere efforts to promote employee wellbeing - often for the sake of public image rather than genuine concern for staff.   

In fact, more than a third (38%) of people believe their employer is wellbeing washing. Although some employers may not even realise they’re doing it, it’s important to highlight the impact it can have on both staff and businesses.  

Worried you might be guilty of wellbeing washing? Here are a few examples of what it can look like:   

Superficial Solutions - According to research, high workload is the main cause of stress-related absence. As such, implementing wellness programmes without addressing underlying issues like excessive workloads, poor management, or lack of work/life balance can be deemed as papering over a more pressing problem.  

Insincere Initiatives – Some companies launch wellness programmes that might sound impressive on the surface, but in fact have no real impact on employee wellbeing. From empty motivational slogans to meditation sessions that staff can’t find time for, these initiatives make employees feel momentarily uplifted but fail to deliver positive change.  

Inconsistent Policies – Supporting one area of wellbeing but neglecting another can make your approach seem unfair and ineffective. That’s because true employee wellbeing needs to take a whole-health approach (mental, physical, and financial) in order to support everyone equally.  

Lack of Authenticity – Wellbeing efforts can be easily derailed if employees feel they are purely performative. For example, if a company posts about mental health awareness days but fails to address key wellbeing issues within the organisation, a disconnect between brand building and genuine care becomes apparent.  

How Employers Can Avoid Wellbeing Washing  

As an employer, it’s crucial to ensure your intentions of promoting employee wellbeing are authentic and impactful. Here’s how:  

1. Assess the needs of your employees – Whether it’s through staff-wide surveys, focus groups, or 1-2-1s, it’s important to carry out regular assessments to understand what your people need from their wellbeing provision 
2. Integrate wellbeing into your core values - Make sure that wellbeing is a part of your company’s core policies and values via fair workloads, flexible working, growth opportunities, and other ingrained initiatives 
3. Influence from the top – While wellbeing initiatives should be encouraged at all levels, managers and directors should be setting a precedent by demonstrating healthy behaviours from the top down    
4. Provide ongoing support - Wellbeing is not a single use product; it’s an ongoing commitment. Keep initiatives up to date and enable them to flex with your people based on their feedback  
5. Measure the impact - Evaluate the effectiveness of your wellbeing programmes so you know where and how to improve them. Use metrics like employee satisfaction surveys, absenteeism rates, and productivity levels to ensure your programme is not just fit for purpose, but best in class  

 
80% of employees say that mental health support is a key factor when it comes to changing companies 

Building a Culture of Wellbeing in the Workplace 

Ready to start shaping a business built on authentic and inclusive wellbeing? Here are a few key strategies to ensure your provision is on point:  

Create a safe and supportive environment where employees feel able to express their concerns and seek support through open and confidential communication channels.  

Promote a healthy work-life balance by implementing flexible working options and discouraging overtime.  

Provide resources and training like mental health support, fitness programmes, and stress management workshops. Make sure employees know how to access and utilise these services at the point of need.  

Recognise and reward employees for their efforts, achievements, and professional milestones. 

Build a sense of community in the workplace by encouraging team bonding activities, social events, catchups, and regular opportunities for employees to connect on a personal level.  
  

The key to effective employee wellbeing is authenticity, consistency and genuine understanding of your people’s needs. No two workers are the same, and some may need more resources than others. But it’s important to realise that employee wellbeing isn’t a one-and-done situation; it’s ongoing, and it plays a huge part in employees’ lives both in and out of the workplace.    

By avoiding wellbeing washing and committing to the health and happiness of your people, you can build a strong, productive and loyal workforce while creating a culture of wellbeing that goes above and beyond awareness days.  

Sources  

Claro Wellbeing report: How wellbeing washing hurts an organisation and its people | Reward and Employee Benefits Association (REBA) 

Health and wellbeing at work (cipd.org) 

What is employee wellbeing: 21 stats for 2024 (nailted.com)