Corporate wellbeing solutions are a multi-billion-dollar global industry. How do we ensure these services are worth the investment?

Who is responsible for workplace stress and burnout?

Mindfulness programs, wellness coaching and digital therapy apps are a popular solution for employees hoping to feel less stressed at work. But there needs to be another layer of support for a collectively burned-out workforce.

Advancing wellness, mental health and psychosocial safety at work may call for a significant organizational change in a company’s culture. On their own, employees can only do so much to move the needle if not actively empowered by the employer. Wellbeing must be integrated into an organization starting with leadership – mental health must be prioritized at the C-suite. The responsibility of ensuring psychosocial safety in the workplace rests on the employer.

Many industrialized countries are recognizing this shift in responsibility. The European Union, Mexico, Chile, United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Australia and Colombia are among the countries that have passed legislation requiring employers to address workplace stress and burnout by assessing, managing and preventing psychosocial hazards.

Wellbeing Ambassadors Cultivate a Culture of Caring

Workplace Options launched the Wellbeing Ambassador Program, a first-of-its-kind, internationally accredited programme designed to drive a culture of care across organizations. The goal is to help employers establish a work environment focused on mental health and psychosocial safety.

Wellbeing Ambassadors:

• Foster participation and engagement in wellness programmes, services and events.
• Direct employees to champion wellbeing programmes, activities, events and resources.
• Present opportunities to build knowledge and apply learnings in the workplace.
• Advocate for a positive outlook on workplace wellbeing.

Wellbeing Ambassador Program Components

The multiple components of the Ambassador Program lead an organization in selecting effective wellbeing promoters who will recognise and respond to colleagues needing support. The Program provides the tools to assess the work environment, recruit, train and empower employees, while assisting in measuring progress.

• Wellbeing Risk Assessment – Uncovering psychosocial risks that must be mitigated and managed. This includes a comprehensive review of existing wellbeing, leadership and workplace culture.
• Management Training – Creating a complete culture of care at every level.
• Ambassador Selection, Training & Ongoing Support – Empowering ambassadors in promoting a psychologically healthy and safe organization.​

David Stace, Director of Clinical Policy and Best Practice: “When employees see the effort that’s being put into making sure that this program is customized to their specific environment, that’s when they really start to believe in the program and the positive, tangible benefit it can have—and that’s when they want to get involved. They want to be a part of that culture change.

Creating a sustainable culture of care takes time, consistent effort and adaptive mindsets.

Our Wellbeing Ambassador Program is uniquely designed to:

• Integrate with, and leverage connections to, existing resources and programs.
• Reflect attitudes towards mental health across any number of cultural dimensions, industries and organizational structures.
• Comply with country-specific regulatory mandates.
• Monitor for psychosocial hazards and identify how to address risks.

Mary-Ellen Gornick, Consulting Group Founding Partner: “When managers convey a well-rounded understanding of their employees’ needs and furthermore demonstrate a strong commitment to making sure that these needs are met, that’s when employees are inspired to get involved themselves and become that beacon of support for their peers.”