Beyond the Fruit Bowl

What should a workplace wellbeing policy include?

An effective workplace wellbeing policy should include: a clear statement of the organisation's commitment and who is responsible for it, how mental health risks such as stress are assessed and managed, what support is available and exactly how to access it, how requests for help or adjustments will be handled confidentially, what training managers and staff receive, and how the policy is reviewed. Crucially, it should name real routes to real support, such as trained Mental Health First Aiders, an Employee Assistance Programme, and signposting to external services.

Now for the part most policies miss. A policy is a promise. And the fastest way to damage trust in a workplace is to make a promise the everyday experience doesn't match.

I've read beautiful wellbeing policies in organisations where nobody dared take a lunch break. The document said all the right things. The culture said otherwise, and culture always wins. So my advice is to write less and mean more.

The test I give organisations is simple. Could a struggling employee, at 4pm on their worst Tuesday, pick up your policy and know exactly what to do next and who to talk to? If the answer is no, it's not a wellbeing policy. It's a wellbeing essay.

And please, involve your people in writing it. Ask them what support they'd actually use. The fruit bowl and the yoga discount are lovely, but what most people want is a manageable workload, a manager who listens, and the confidence that speaking up won't cost them.

Want help making it real? From Mentality for your whole workforce to MHFA training and the Mental Health Skills for Managers Course, I can help you build the training layer that turns your policy into practice. To creating your next annual wellbeing training strategy please email hello@peterlarkum.com