Define wellbeing to help employers, say researchers

A new study finds that a lack of legal definition for wellbeing is hindering efforts to support workers suffering from mental ill-health.

The study, Being Well in a Changing World, is the result of a collaboration between the British Safety Council and the Institute of Occupational Medicine. It seeks to identify and examine the practices employers implement to improve their workers’ wellbeing.

Amongst the report’s key findings, it found that there is no ‘universally accepted’ definition of wellbeing, leading to inconsistencies in research and practice. This in turn makes it very difficult to compare and assess wellbeing practices across different organisations, sectors, industries, cultures and nations.

Canvassing 609 employers of differing sizes and locations across a range of sectors, the research was conducted between June 2023 and September 2024. It also took in 74 pieces of academic literature (including white papers and reports) on workplace wellbeing, and in-depth interviews with 10 employers.

A majority of employers (87%) ground their wellbeing strategies in health and safety. However, there exists a critical disconnect between what is known about wellbeing, and what is actually applied in the workplace.

Mike Robinson, CEO of British Safety Council commented on the findings: 

“Without shared metrics, or ways that employers can learn from each other, workers risk being left behind, in a world where rapid change is the norm.

“The recommendations we are making based on our research would help employers adapt better to change and make the difference between them merely surviving or thriving.”

Alongside the report’s findings, Tina Catling, a Principal Practitioner at the Association for British Psychology and a fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, is calling for mental health ‘injuries’ to be reported like other workplace incidents.

Tina Catling argues that mental health should be reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases, and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR):

“We need to ask ourselves a fundamental question – why do we separate mental health from physical health?” Catling said. “Our heads are connected to our bodies. Yet, if someone sustains a mental health injury due to work, there is no legal obligation for employers to investigate and report it

“Recognising and recording mental health injuries would lead to better protection for employees and encourage employers to take proactive measures, such as implementing psychological safety risk assessments and addressing workplace factors contributing to stress-related harm.”

Incorporating mental health and wellbeing into RIDDOR, Catling suggested, would encourage a more nuanced approach to wellbeing. “Employers would look closer at issues such as microaggressions, unconscious bias, bullying and the general psychological safety of their employees.”

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