Workplace wellbeing initiatives are a waste of time and money – it’s official…

They say that one’s a fluke, two’s a coincidence and three’s a trend…

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Having come across three separate academic research papers claiming this to be the case, I decided to dive into the data… is it all what it seems? And what does it mean for Thrivall?

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Firstly, in the run-up to Christmas, our Thrivall Advisory Board Member Paul Parker kindly sent me this 66-page academic paper from 英国伦敦政治经济学院 Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science.

Then last week, our client partner Stuart Angell at IVDeology Ltd shared this article from The Guardian , pointing to other studies, including a couple from researchers linked with Birkbeck, University of London , 英国牛津大学 and Stanford University Graduate School of Business – which all seem to debunk the value of workplace wellbeing initiatives.

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It’s taken me a while to find time to get my head down and really understand it but having now done so – I’m ready to share more…

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If you just want the TLDR summary – here you go:

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The reports seem to look at workplace wellbeing initiatives solely focussed on:

-?????? Physical health and/or

-?????? Digital technology support (e.g. via online resources and Apps) and/or

-?????? Individual level support (e.g. promotion/services for self-care) and/or

-?????? Offering opt-in support (where some people may choose not to engage)

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And these factors seem to have resulted in initiatives that have limited (and sometimes even negative) impact.

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Well, I’m pleased to say that none of this applies to the Thrivall | B Corp Pending programme which has been uniquely designed, pioneering a new approach to provide proactive mental health and workplace wellbeing support, which is:

-?????? HOLISTIC (looking at 5 pillars of wellbeing)

-?????? HUMAN-TO-HUMAN first (with the programme being delivered 100% live and face-to-face, in-person where practical or via video as needed)

-?????? WORKING ON ALL LEVELS - with personalised individual support plus team building and with leadership to provide insights and support at a structural organisational level

-?????? SUSTAINED YEAR-ROUND for the WHOLE ORGANISATION

-?????? EVIDENCE-BASED and DATA-DRIVEN so you can track progress and measure ROI

Phew!

And here’s the deeper dive if you wish to read on…

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The headline findings from the LSE research state that interviews conducted with 100 people across banking, finance and professional services in the UK found that not one of the interviewees was in favour of workplace wellbeing initiatives’. What is interesting to note is that this doesn’t necessarily prove that these initiatives are not effective - simply that they are not perceived to have value for these particular people!

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The researchers conclude that businesses should instead be focused on developing psychologically safe workplaces, mitigating against stress and reducing the risk of mental ill-health, rather than taking responsibility for developing people’s wellbeing. They propose a ‘Beyond Workplace Wellbeing Framework’ to this effect, as a way forward.

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Meanwhile, the Stanford researcher's paper, the Birkbeck study and the Oxford study highlight how focusing initiatives solely on giving support at the individual-level is of limited (and sometimes even negative) effect. This was no surprise to us!

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So what does this mean for Thrivall | B Corp Pending ? While on face value, as we talk about our programme as offering mental health and wellbeing support – it may seem our overall mission and approach is being called into question.

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However, having now looked deeper into these findings, beyond the attention-grabbing headlines – I am pleased to say that they have actually further validated everything we are doing which makes Thrivall different.

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This is because Thrivall is uniquely designed to effect positive behaviour change at an individual, team AND organisational level – thus enabling development and support for everyone to develop the psychological safety and trust we know to be foundational to creating healthy, sustainable, and even regenerative, organisations.

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Our evidence-based, data-driven, structured and sustained year-round programmes provide highly personalised one-to-one support, as well as bringing teams together for expertly facilitated conversations, to enable people to better support both themselves and their colleagues, and then at an overall organisational level – we work with leadership teams to align Thrivall programmes with the development of company purpose and values, applying insights from the feedback and benchmaking data we collect to inform decision-making processes and to evolve strategies, structures and cultures over time.

Thrivall partners with forward-thinking business leaders, delivering pioneering year-round programmes that grow people and organisations, producing bottom-line results and getting everyone thriving at work and beyond.?

If you’d like to find out more about how a Thrivall programme would support you and your team – follow us here on LinkedIn and do get in touch by DM here or email [email protected]

More about the Author

I'm Anwen Cooper - Mission Director & Co-founder at Thrivall, bringing experience gained from working with 100+ different organisations over 20+ years, in a range of senior leadership, charity Trustee and consultancy roles. I also founded a strategic marketing consultancy focused on growing purpose and impact-driven business as a force for good, plus I am a podcaster, published author and professional speaker.?

More About Thrivall

Thrivall is on a mission to get everyone thriving at work and beyond. Pioneering an evidence-based, data-driven approach, Thrivall partners with forward-thinking, people-focused organisations who understand the value of proactively investing in colleague mental health and wellbeing. Thrivall builds capacity and resilience through rolling 12-month programmes, grounded in person-centred counselling, peak performance psychology and professional coaching, to create improved bottom-line results and more sustainable employment. Find us online at www.thrivall.co.uk Follow us on LinkedIn at https://www.dhirubhai.net/company/thrivall ?

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