At TEND, we work with thousands of helping professionals every year, giving us unique insight into the challenges faced by high-stress, trauma-exposed workplaces. A question we often hear is: who is responsible for employee wellness?

This question reflects a key tension in many workplaces: leaders express frustration about low participation in wellness initiatives, while at the same time, staff report feeling unsupported by their organizations.

We wanted to learn more about this disconnect with the goal of gathering insights to help workplaces better support their people.

Research suggests that perceptions about responsibility for wellness can significantly influence outcomes.

Passey et al. (2018) found that managers’ beliefs about wellness programs directly impact whether such initiatives are funded and promoted. For example, senior managers are less likely to champion wellness efforts if they believe employees do not value them.

Similarly, Hoert et al. (2018) showed that employees are more likely to engage in wellness activities when they perceive leadership as actively supporting health promotion efforts.

Therefore, part of resolving this tension may lie in understanding more about what people believe about employee wellness.

The results of our survey

To better understand these perspectives, we surveyed 761 helping professionals from diverse fields, including healthcare, education, social services, emergency response, and non-profits. Here is what we heard:

This majority perspective highlights a strong expectation for workplaces to take the lead in promoting well-being.

Interestingly, whether respondents supervised others or not did not have a significant impact on their perspectives. We asked people to self-identify as someone who supervised others within their role or someone who does not. Here are the results:

Both groups largely agreed that organizations bear the primary responsibility for employee wellness. However, those in supervisory roles were slightly more likely to emphasize a shared responsibility in our open-ended question.

Digging deeper into our results

Here are some of the themes we heard when we asked our participants to tell us more about their response (Note that these quotes were created by our team to illustrate examples of what we heard and are not direct quotes from our respondents).

• Well-designed, accessible, and flexible wellness programs are essential: “I believe organizations have a huge role to play in supporting employee wellness by creating policies and providing resources that prioritize staff well-being. Staff don’t always have time or permission to take care of themselves at work.”
• Wellness needs to be integrated into the organizational culture: “If the company builds wellness into its culture, policies, and everyday practices, it’s way more likely to make a real impact on employees. As leaders, we need to show a commitment to wellness, or any program will fall flat.”
• Enough with the stress balls: “Healthcare workers, especially front-line staff, are stretched thin—budget cuts, short staffing, and burnout are real. We need better work-life balance support and more understanding from managers. Everyone’s trying to do their best, but it’s tough when the system isn’t set up to help.”
• Collaborative efforts are key: “From personal boundaries to leadership setting the right example, and communities offering support, we all play a part in making wellness a priority.”
• Healthy, supported employees are productive, engaged employees: “Taking care of your employees isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s good for business.”
• Physical and psychological safety is critical: “When employees feel valued and safe, both in body and mind, they’re more likely to stay engaged, perform well, and provide the best care possible.”
• Individuals need to take what is offered: “If people aren’t taking care of themselves both at work and outside of it, no amount of resources or policies from the employer will make a real difference.”

Bridging the divide

As 2/3rds of our respondents believe that the responsibility for employee wellness lies primarily with the organization, it is clear that staff need to feel as though their workplace is acting on that responsibility. This can be particularly difficult in trauma-exposed workplaces as the addition of trauma exposure adds a layer of complexity and amplified stress (Fisher, 2016).

At TEND, we have had the honour of working side-by-side with many organizations through our Roadmap to Organizational Health program and guiding them through implementing change initiatives. Here are some of the lessons we learned about supporting employee wellness:

Wellness initiatives must be tailored to each team, unit, or department.

One-size-fits-all programs often fall short, particularly in high-stress, trauma-exposed workplaces. We’ve seen cases where a successful wellness initiative is simply transplanted from one department to another, only to result in low engagement and uptake.

We recommend that management spend time “on the floor” to identify and better understand issues and concerns at the individual and team level. Often, small adjustments can lead to better outcomes. For example, offering workshops at varied times of the day or week, or in different formats can increase participation from staff with caregiver needs or those working shift hours.

Prioritize transparency and vulnerability

Employees are more likely to participate in wellness initiatives when they see the results of their participation, and when those results lead to tangible action. If your organization is conducting an audit, assessment, or evaluation, ensure that any relevant information is available to those who participated. This increases trust and demonstrates a commitment to action and accountability.

Find your champions

Selecting the “right” people to champion your wellness initiatives is critical. These are the people who will inspire, influence, and lead others, serving as a role model for wellness within your workplace. Look for those who are well-respected and trusted, known for their positive communication skills, and ability to motivate others. It is also important that this process be sustainable and not overly dependent on one individual. As our survey showed, people’s perceptions are important – ensure you have the right people spreading the right message.

Be open to feedback and ensure ongoing monitoring and evaluation.

Gather feedback from as many sources as possible, including from the individuals your organization serves. You may find valuable clues about how your staff is doing and where they may need additional support. We often recommend that leaders focus on the “average” submission –  try not to get too fixated on the most critical comments or on overly positive reviews. Rather, focus on feedback that is constructive and which provides actionable insights.

Share your thoughts with us

Do the results of our survey line up with your experience? Contact us if you have something you’d like to share.

References

Fisher, P. (2016). Resilience, balance & meaning: Supporting our lives and our work in high stress, trauma-exposed workplaces. Fisher & Associates Solutions Inc.

Hoert, J., Herd, A. M., & Hambrick, M. (2018). The role of leadership support for health promotion in employee wellness program participation, perceived job stress, and health behaviors. American Journal of Health Promotion, 32(4), 1054–1061. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890117116677798

Passey, D. G., Brown, M. C., Hammerback, K., Harris, J. R., & Hannon, P. A. (2018). Manager’s support for employee wellness programs: An integrative review. American Journal of Health Promotion, 32(8), 1789–1799. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890117118764856