Employee wellbeing: Good for people and for business – HR News
Summary
This article by Phillips Pham, Chief People Officer at Mainetti, argues that employee wellbeing should be treated as a core organisational goal rather than an optional perk. It outlines why businesses benefit from prioritising physical, mental and social health, and presents data linking wellbeing initiatives to improved retention, lower absenteeism and higher productivity.
Pham highlights global examples and research — including findings from Wellhub, McKinsey Health Institute, Gallup and academic studies — to show both the economic case and the human case for wellbeing-first strategies. The piece finishes with a practical framework for organisations that want to become wellbeing-first.
Key Points
- Wellbeing should be embedded as a core organisational objective, not treated as an optional add-on.
- Investing in people delivers measurable business benefits: improved retention (73%), reduced absenteeism (67%) and higher productivity (56%), according to Wellhub (2025).
- McKinsey Health Institute estimates an economic value opportunity from employee health equivalent to 17–55% of average annual pay per employee.
- Gen Z places high value on wellbeing and work–life balance, making wellbeing a strategic priority for attracting and retaining talent.
- Despite benefits, global and UK workplace wellbeing is declining (Gallup 2025; Johns Hopkins/Great Place to Work® 2024).
- A simple implementation framework: set a long-term vision, secure senior leadership commitment, adopt and adapt established wellbeing frameworks (eg Gross National Happiness), and start small then scale.
Why should I read this?
Quick and useful — this is the short version: if you care about cutting churn, reducing sick days and getting more from your teams without burning them out, read it. It’s a practical nudge for leaders who still treat wellbeing as “nice to have”.
Context and relevance
The article is timely: workforce demographics and declining wellbeing metrics mean businesses that ignore employee health risk higher costs and lower competitiveness. The piece ties individual wellbeing to broader organisational resilience and highlights international models (eg Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness) as ways to measure progress. For HR leaders and executives, it reinforces current trends to make wellbeing a strategic investment rather than a box-ticking exercise.
Author style
Punchy — Pham is clear and persuasive: wellbeing is both an ethical obligation and a business lever. If you lead teams or set HR strategy, this is worth a quick read to justify practical, measurable changes.
Source
Source: https://hrnews.co.uk/employee-wellbeing-good-for-people-and-for-business/
