Feeling stressed at work? Anxious about deadlines? Unmotivated and unproductive? You’re not alone.
According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2025 report, 40 percent of employees surveyed globally claimed to have experienced a lot of stress the previous day, a figure that has consistently climbed over the past decade as workplaces become more complex and demanding. Add digital overload, political uncertainty, cost-of-living pressures and the risk of ill health and burnout multiplies.
This is not only bad for the individual; it’s also bad for business. The World Health Organization estimates that depression and anxiety cost the global economy 12 billion working days and a whopping US$1 trillion in lost productivity each year, not to mention the impact on motivation, absenteeism and innovation. Organisations that want to perform at their best need their people to do the same, both physically and mentally.
Marc Bryant, Executive Director, Strategic Relationships and Advocacy at Mental Health First Aid International, says, “Global megatrends — from unrest and cost-of-living pressures to climate anxiety — are magnifying the mental health burden. Mental ill-health carries a heavy human and financial cost, with conservative estimates placing the annual economic impact in the tens of billions of dollars.” This fiscal impact is inspiring a view of wellbeing that stretches beyond the purely physical. “There is increasing recognition that workplaces need to afford mental health the same priority as physical health and safety,” says Bryant. “Prevention and early intervention are not optional extras, but essential investments in people, productivity and long-term wellbeing.”
FROM PERK TO HOLISTIC PROGRAMME
It seems obvious that healthy employees in supportive environments are happier and more productive. However, this has not always been the case. In industrial-era workplaces, the focus was largely on output, with scant regard for the human element. It wasn’t until the 1970s that physical health gained significant attention — and since then, wellbeing has evolved into a multifaceted concept encompassing mental, emotional, physical, social and financial health.
Given this broad definition, it’s unsurprising that many organisations’ good intentions outpace their implementation. The Global Wellness Institute estimates that only nine percent of the global workforce has access to any form of workplace wellbeing programme — and even then, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.
All too often, wellbeing is placed in the nice-to-have category, or boxes are ticked with perks like gym membership, a fruit bowl in the office kitchen, and discounted health insurance.
Lauren Ryder, CEO of Leading Edge Global and organisational transformation expert, says the danger of focusing on perks or programmes is that wellbeing can feel like an add-on. She cites examples of employees invited to attend a resilience workshop while working unrealistic hours, or staff encouraged to join a lunchtime meditation session while workloads remain unchanged.
“The real impact comes when wellbeing is embedded into the culture and the way work is designed,” she says, pointing to initiatives such as flexible and hybrid working policies that genuinely support work–life integration, realistic workloads and clear priorities, and leaders modelling healthy behaviours.
“These programmes must be accessible, inclusive, evidencebased, tailored to their workforce and measurable to continuously improve, forming part of a whole-of-workplace approach that builds lasting wellbeing,” adds Bryant.
“Most importantly, these initiatives must be measurable. When learning, support pathways and outcomes are tracked, wellbeing will move beyond a symbolic tick-box to become a lasting and impactful part of workplace cultures.
WELLBEING DONE WELL
Within the nine percent club, there are some standout organisations setting the bar for workplace wellbeing. They share a fundamental philosophy: putting people first.
Microsoft, named by Forbes as World’s Best Employer for the second year running in 2025, is a consistent frontrunner, joined by the likes of Canva, LinkedIn, Salesforce and Adobe, but it’s not only tech companies leading the charge. Global healthcare company Johnson & Johnson has been a long-time wellbeing innovator; Singapore-headquartered United Overseas Bank is recognised for its comprehensive programme designed to prevent burnout; and South Korean global network marketing company Atomy’s philosophy is based around treating employees as family — with a playful twist. Its headquarters even feature a slide between floors and meeting rooms outfitted with trampolines, basketball hoops, and ball pits instead of tables.
Atomy may well be following in Google’s footsteps. The tech giant is renowned for offering innovative office perks, with freeto-use bikes across the company’s campuses, nap rooms, office dogs, standing desks and entertainment on tap for break times, including Lego stations and ping-pong tables. More importantly, Google integrates wellbeing and inclusivity into its culture through comprehensive health services, free nutritious meals, on-site gyms, and a transparent, collaborative environment that empowers employees to engage and contribute.
If there’s one lesson to take away from these champions of wellbeing, it’s that true wellness must be woven into the organisational fabric and championed from the top down.
SELF-SERVICE WELLBEING
Most businesses fall somewhere between zero and Google on the wellbeing spectrum. Progress is happening, but slowly. Meanwhile, individuals can adopt their own wellness strategies to improve daily work life across the 90,000-odd hours they’ll spend working in a lifetime.
Ryder recommends simple actions such as allocating focus time in calendars, taking micro-breaks to reset the brain, and managing energy levels. She also stresses the importance of setting clear workload boundaries instead of automatically saying yes to every request.
Bryant also emphasises the importance of connection in the workplace. “Work can be busy and demanding, but maintaining supportive relationships with colleagues and checking in with one another can make a real difference,” he says.
So, grab an apple from that fruit bowl, stretch during the lunchtime yoga class, connect with colleagues and watch this space as workplace wellbeing evolves, replacing burnout with balance.