Mental health has been an important part of the workplace conversation for years – but what happens when the policies meant to preserve employee wellbeing fall short?

The concept of “wellbeing washing” refers to when businesses “talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk” when it comes to mental health and other wellbeing policies, according to Chris Raven, CEO at business growth agency Heur.

He likens it to greenwashing, explaining that the situation has been worsened by a mad scramble to cater for employee wellbeing during Covid-19, without enough long-term or logistical thought into how these important policies might be implemented. This leaves employees feeling like they’ve been hoodwinked or lied to, worsening their own sense of wellbeing and their trust in the company they work for.

The research is quite damning. One study published by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health found that 51% of employees believed their employer was guilty of wellbeing washing.

There seems to be a disconnect between how companies present and perceive the wellbeing of their employees and how employees themselves feel in comparison. According to Claro Wellbeing, while 7 in 10 workplaces celebrate mental health awareness days, only 3 in 10 offer mental health support deemed "good" by their employees.

A study from McKinsey Health Institute found that employers rate the mental health and wellbeing of their employees 22% more favourably than employees themselves.

Some key examples of wellbeing washing might include encouraging a work-life balance on the surface, but then praising employees who work overtime. Or participating in social media trends like Blue Monday or other mental-health-related “days” or events, but not checking in with individual employee wellbeing day to day. Basically, if a workplace’s public mental health policies or strategies don’t line up with employees’ daily experiences, it could be accused of wellbeing washing.

For psychotherapist, coach and CEO of mental health consultancy PVL, Petra Velzeboer, the impact of wellbeing washing can lead to employee disengagement and burnout.

“The more in survival mode we are, rushing around putting out fires, the more disengaged we can come from wellbeing messages at work - feeling more misunderstood than connected, leading to apathy, disengagement or even eventual burnout,” she explains.

This concept can be seen embodied in what is colloquially known as the ‘startup capital of the U.S.' Making up 36% of total U.S. venture capital activity, San Francisco is known for its tech industry, hipster-run and millennial-loved coffee shops, steep hills and record burnout numbers. Start-up culture stereotypically runs on the questionable practice of a ‘Pay them less - but throw in a ping pong table!’ mentality with perks like the infamous Thirsty Thursdays, happy hours, team events, free food, and gym membership as an incentive for often exploitative work hours and pay - and it is catching up to them. It’s reported that almost a third of San Francisco workers say they are burned out and 57.16% of their tech employees said they were burnt out too.

Of course, if a workplace is wellbeing washing, it might not necessarily be doing so deliberately – instances can sometimes be due to bad execution of policies or a lack of resources. When it comes to remedying or preventing wellbeing washing, there are a few things workplaces can think about and implement.

Firstly, Chris recommends being practically committed to promoting a work-life balance, beyond posters and themed mental health days. “Encouraging strict log-off times and emphasising the importance of taking time off should be key to your wellbeing strategy,” he says. “As business owners, it’s important to not make your employees feel like they are just cogs in a machine.” It’s not enough to talk about employee wellbeing, the behaviours that are encouraged and rewarded mean everything.

A case-by-case approach to employee mental health is also important, Chris says. “It’s important to note that wellness looks different to the individual,” he says. “Make sure your employees feel like they can make suggestions as to what would work best for them. You can facilitate this through anonymous suggestion boxes or smaller group meetings where people feel comfortable voicing their opinions.” Whether it’s the flexibility to work from home or take a mental health day, employees need to be able to express what they need to optimise their own wellbeing. It could also be a good plan for businesses to look at how they allocate funds that are reserved for wellbeing policies. Seeing as money is often one of the biggest stressors for employees, it may be that they’d prefer funds to be channelled into tangible bonuses. “Instead of pouring money into mental health apps subscriptions that have little to no pick-up, business owners can put this money towards employees’ bonuses or pay,” Chris suggests. In order to get an accurate sense of where the money should go, he suggests assessing how many people might use things like mental health apps or a free lunch before investing in them.

Above all, though, it’s important to be clear with employees about what is and isn’t possible when it comes to mental health support. “To truly avoid wellbeing washing, it is most important to be honest with your employees,” Chris says. “Instead of promising the world when it comes to their mental health, let them know what you can provide and also ask them how you as a business can improve.

“Empty promises without a clear roadmap will only lead to disaster and disappointment. Workplaces should try and start fostering an environment that is based on open-ness and understanding. This way, employees can be honest with what they need and businesses can be honest with what they can provide.”

If necessary, he suggests hiring a professional for a second opinion when it comes to deciding what policies to prioritise – particularly an expert with a specific background in mental health.

Implementing these policies efficiently doesn’t just benefit employee wellbeing, it makes sense from a business point of view too. “Not only will employees spend longer at your company, meaning less time spent training new recruits and getting through lengthy hiring processes, they will also be happier, meaning the quality of work will be higher," Chris says. For Petra, the policies themselves are just the first step – what’s important is how well they are implemented.

“Policies, values and mission statements can only have an impact if they are modelled through behaviours and understood in a way that makes sense to roles within a business," she says, recommending that change must “ideally start from the top”.

“Get your exec team and board to understand the behaviours connected to policies - connect to the reason for policies linked to business objectives and discuss how they can model these behaviours to varying levels of the business.”

A big lesson we can learn from the trend of “wellbeing washing” is that dealing with it and preventing it is about actions, not just written or spoken promises.

“A policy is about what we do,” Petra says. “Not just what we say – so learn to show people rather than tell them. This is the basis of good leadership and the seed of all great cultures.”

Live Optimally. Live Intentionally. Live Well.

So that’s one piece of the wellbeing puzzle: employers should implement effective practices to support your mental and physical wellbeing at work. But what part do you have to play in stopping burnout?

Did you know you’re 61% more likely to experience career burnout if you’re not taking care of your personal wellbeing?

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