Building a Happier UK: Workplace Strategies for Better Wellbeing
This World Wellbeing Week, reflect on how your organisation can make a difference.
In honour of World Wellbeing Week, from June 24th to June 30th, we’re shining a spotlight on the current state of wellbeing in the UK and sharing powerful, practical strategies that businesses can adopt to help their teams thrive.
World Wellbeing Week is an annual global campaign that promotes mental health, physical wellness, and financial stability, encouraging individuals and organisations alike to prioritise and protect overall wellbeing.
Discover how you can create a healthier, happier workplace by supporting your employees' mental, physical, and financial health.
Mental Wellbeing in the UK
Each year, one in four people will experience a mental health issue (1). This staggering figure highlights the importance of removing the stigma around mental health and making support easily accessible, especially within the workplace.
Recent data shows that 22% of adults in the UK reported high levels of anxiety, as noted by the Office for National Statistics in its May 2025 report (2). Pressures such as rising living costs, personal hardships, and professional stress are major contributors.
Moreover, research from YouGov revealed that one in three adults (34%) experienced high or extreme stress levels regularly last year, nearly mirroring the 35% reported in the previous year (3). These numbers underscore the direct impact work can have on mental health and the critical role employers play in supporting their teams.
Strategies to Support Mental Wellbeing
Consider implementing initiatives such as the ones below to show your people that their mental wellbeing matters:
1. Regular 1-to-1 Check-ins
Create a safe and open environment through regular one-on-one meetings. These sessions provide your team with the opportunity to share concerns and discuss workload challenges in a supportive environment.
2. Provide an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
An EAP gives your team confidential, immediate access to expert advice, including up to six face-to-face sessions. Whether their issues are personal or work-related, this benefit creates a safe outlet for guidance and support.
3. Encourage Annual Leave and Mental Health Days
Promote a healthy work-life balance by ensuring employees take time off. Consider offering additional mental health days to prevent further burnout and show that you value wellbeing as much as performance.
Physical Wellbeing in the UK
Many UK adults face barriers to physical activity, such as a lack of time, money, or confidence. The UK Health and Fitness Market reports that over a quarter of adults average less than 30 minutes of exercise per week (4). Clearly highlighting that more must be done to help people make physical health a part of everyday life.
According to the Workplace Health and Wellbeing Survey 2025, less than half of employees feel comfortable discussing health issues at work, while a worrying 75% continue working despite being unwell, physically or mentally (5). This highlights a critical need for improved communication, support, and access to health-focused resources in the workplace.
Promoting Physical Health at Work
Support your team's physical wellbeing through these impactful practices and benefits:
1. Offer Flexible and Tailored Health Benefits
Give your people access to a variety of health services. Our Healthcare Marketplace, for instance, provides exclusive discounts across hundreds of health providers. You can also consider implementing a Gym Salary Scheme to help your team save on memberships for a variety of fitness venues.
2. Foster a Culture of Openness and Recovery
Encourage honesty around health and wellbeing by promoting a culture of support. Ensure your team feels empowered to prioritise rest and recovery, benefiting both personal health and workplace productivity.
3. Enable Flexible Time for Exercise
Think about how your workplace can offer flexible hours to support physical activity. For example, could you allow an extended lunch break for a workout or arrange a monthly team fitness class? Empowering your people with time for movement shows that you value their health as much as their output.
Financial Wellbeing Across the UK
Just under 22% of UK adults have less than £100 in savings (6). The cost-of-living crisis continues to affect financial wellbeing, and more than two-thirds of employees in a recent survey believe their employers should be doing more to help them cope with the pressure of this (6).
Financial stress also impacts health behaviours. Nearly a quarter of employees from the Workplace Health and Wellbeing Survey 2025 noted that financial pressure discourages them from taking sick days or reducing hours to care for themselves (7).
Financial Wellbeing Support for Employees
You can ease financial pressures and support long-term wellbeing through:
1. Access to Discounts and Cashback
Platforms like our Each Person Shop provide your team with access to exclusive discounts and instant cashback across hundreds of retailers, ranging from everyday essentials to luxury items. Help your people save all year round on fashion, tech, holidays, and more.
2. Salary Sacrifice Schemes
Enhance your benefits package with schemes that spread the cost of big-ticket items like cars, bikes, childcare, and holidays. These kinds of perks eliminate the burden of upfront costs, high interest rates, and complex payment terms, whilst also saving your business money on tax and National Insurance contributions.
3. Everyday Cost Reduction Initiatives
Even small adjustments can have a big impact. Could remote or hybrid work reduce commuting costs? Can flexible hours lower childcare expenses? These practical steps not only ease financial stress but also boost job satisfaction and loyalty.
Improving overall wellbeing with consideration of mental, physical, and financial health isn’t just a moral imperative. It’s a strategic advantage. A supported workforce is a more engaged, productive, and resilient one. This World Wellbeing Week, reflect on how your organisation can make simple but powerful changes to support your people. Because when your employees feel better, they do better.
