How to Tackle ‘Wellbeing Washing’

‘Wellbeing Washing’ is when an organization is focused on appearing to care about employee wellbeing far more than it actually does. This can take many forms and is most noticeable when employees experience contradictions in the workplace. Some examples can include employers encouraging work-life balance but then expecting employees to work overtime or promoting wellbeing events but the day-to-day routines do not encourage the same. These can further be compounded, for example, by being held over lunch breaks or outside working hours.

The current situation

A poll conducted by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), drawing on over 400 responses from almost 60 countries, found that over 50% of employees had experienced ‘Wellbeing Washing’.

Furthermore, a survey of 1,000 employees conducted by Claro Wellbeing revealed that, although 71% mentioned their workplaces held mental health awareness days, only 36% felt their mental health was supported in the workplace.

The survey also discovered that 35% of businesses promoted mental health through events and social media channels, yet 70% of employees did not believe their employers were aware of their own mental health issues.

The need to upgrade

For a strategy to succeed, organizations must genially care about their employees’ wellbeing and support this with effective engagement and communications. Including wellbeing in their strategy is a smart move for organizations, but it must be genuine and at all levels. This task cannot solely fall on the shoulders of occupational health or human resource managers.

Presenteeism and leaveism

Presenteeism and leaveism are behaviours indicative of companies engaging in wellbeing washing. Acknowledging the importance of these behaviours is essential for effective management of employee wellbeing.

Presenteeism involves being physically present in the workplace, yet not fully operational due to illness.

Leaveism refers to behaviours including:

• Employees using allocated time off, such as annual leave entitlements, flexible hours banked, re-rostered rest days, to recover from sickness instead of taking sick leave
• Employees using allocated time off to look after dependents, such as children or elderly relatives
• Employees bringing work home that cannot be completed during normal working hours
• Employees working while on leave or vacation to catch up or maintain workflow.

The motivations for these behaviours are multi-faceted and can range from concerns about dismissal to feelings of unwavering loyalty to organizations and/or colleagues. Regardless of the reason, skillful managers with high emotional intelligence (EQ) will be adept at recognizing and discouraging such behaviours as part of the organization’s commitment to an authentic health and wellbeing strategy.

What next?

‘Wellbeing Washing’ is a significant concern for organizations. There must be both strategic planning and tangible activity in the area of health and wellbeing within businesses. This year, organizations that tackle workplace wellbeing will be rewarded with high performance, high productivity and employee loyalty. More than this, they will be doing the right thing.