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For a long time, workplace wellbeing has largely been built around support. Someone is struggling, so they are pointed towards an EAP. Someone is experiencing poor mental health, so they are given access to counselling. Someone develops persistent back pain, so they are referred to a physio.
All of those services matter, and there will always be a need for them. But there's a problem with a wellbeing strategy that only start once something is wrong. By the time somebody reaches the point where they actively seek help, their wellbeing may have been declining for weeks or months.
We think there is a much bigger opportunity for workplaces to focus on what happens before that point. That is where preventative workplace wellbeing comes in.
What do we mean by Preventative Wellbeing?
Preventative wellbeing is about maintaining good physical, mental and social health, rather than providing support once wellbeing has suffered.
That doesn’t mean believing we can prevent every period of stress, mental health difficulty, injury or illness. We can’t. Life will always throw things at us that are outside our control. Instead, it is about helping people build a stronger foundation from which to deal with those inevitable challenges.
For us, that foundation starts with some simple things. How you move, how you eat, how you recover and how connected you feel to other people. When those things are in a good place, we tend to feel more capable.
But what is the problem with reactive workplace wellbeing?
Much of traditional workplace wellbeing provision is reactive by design. Employee Assistance Programs are a good example. EAPs can provide extremely valuable support, but they often rely on somebody recognising that they need help. They then need to find the right service, navigate the process and actively seek support.
There can be a lot of steps between “I’m not doing very well” and actually speaking to another human being.
Digital wellbeing platforms can suffer from a similar problem. They may contain hundreds of useful resources, but they still depend on somebody deciding to log in. The people who most need help are not necessarily the people browsing a wellbeing portal.
There is also something important that can be lost when workplace wellbeing becomes mainly digital. The human element. Being with people, having conversations, joining a class and feeling part of something can all contribute to wellbeing.
How to get started with the foundations
When we think about preventative workplace wellbeing at That Day, we often start with physical wellbeing. That isn’t because physical wellbeing is the only thing that matters. Far from it. It's because movement is one of the most accessible places to start and can be impactful well beyond physical fitness.
The evidence around exercise and mental health is increasingly compelling. Published in The BMJ, a major 2024 review of existing research and treatments, analysed 218 randomised trials involving more than 14,000 people with depression. It found meaningful reductions in depressive symptoms from activities including walking or jogging, strength training and yoga. With the overall effects of exercise described as comparable with psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy.
The point of this example is not to suggest that exercise should replace medicine or therapy. But rather to challenge the idea of fitness and movement in the workplace as just ‘nice perks’ for employees. Regular exercise can be a very meaningful part of supporting people’s mental wellbeing.
A workplace gym can be much more than a gym
When a gym is managed properly, they can become the launchpad for an entire ecosystem of wellbeing support.
Fitness might form the foundation, but from there we can introduce expertise in nutrition, sleep and mental health. These services do not have to exist as disconnected interventions that employees are expected to seek out themselves. They can form part of one visible, accessible and human ecosystem of support.
Preventative doesn’t mean getting rid of Reactive
There is an important distinction here. A preventative wellbeing strategy does not remove the need for therapy, clinical support, EAPs or other reactive services. Those services remain essential, and they should be available quickly and easily when somebody needs them.
The strongest wellbeing strategies should do both. Invest in the everyday behaviours, environments and relationships that help people stay physically, mentally and socially well. Then also make sure that more specialist support is easily accessible if someone’s wellbeing does begin to decline.
Wellbeing should be something people can feel
This is particularly important in the workplace, because a wellbeing strategy shouldn’t solely exist in a benefits portal. People should be able to feel it within the building itself.
When we design and manage wellbeing spaces for buildings and workplaces, our job is not simply to keep a gym open. We use those spaces to deliver consistent, data-led programs that people engage with. Classes throughout the week, events to bring people together and specialist support in response to what people need. Done well, this improves individual wellbeing while also helping to bring the workplace itself to life.
From fixing problems to building healthier workplaces
There will always be moments when people need more support. The aim of preventative wellbeing is not to pretend those moments don’t happen. It is to create people, communities and workplaces that are better equipped to deal with them when they arrive.
We should also be asking a much earlier question:
What can we do every week to help people stay well?
