Mental health and wellbeing are now front and centre in conversations about workplace culture, employee experience, and leadership. It's encouraging to see these issues finally getting the attention they deserve. However, a growing gap is emerging between what some businesses say and what they do — a phenomenon known as wellbeing washing.
Research suggests that over a third of businesses may be wellbeing washing, presenting a caring image on the surface without making meaningful changes behind the scenes. Much like greenwashing in sustainability, wellbeing washing can undermine trust, stall real progress, and leave employees feeling disillusioned.
In this article, we explore what wellbeing washing is, why it's a problem that businesses can't afford to ignore, and how to avoid falling into the trap — even with the best of intentions.
What is wellbeing washing?
Wellbeing washing is when an organisation externally promotes mental health and wellbeing, through communications, social media, or one-off events, but fails to integrate meaningful support into its everyday culture. This gap between messaging and action often stems from good intentions but results in hollow efforts that feel dismissive to employees.
It can show up in different ways: running a Mental Health Awareness Week event but overlooking wellbeing for the rest of the year, promoting "self-care" messages while quietly rewarding burnout culture, or offering perks like wellbeing apps and mindfulness sessions without addressing bigger systemic issues like overwork, lack of flexibility, or poor leadership.
It's not about being perfect, but more so being authentic. When wellbeing messaging truly aligns with employees' day-to-day experiences, it builds trust, not resentment.
Why It's a problem
Wellbeing washing isn't just ineffective; it can be actively harmful. When organisations claim to prioritise mental health but fail to back it up with real action, it creates dissonance, frustration, and mistrust. Over time, the gap between words and reality takes a toll on both employees and the business itself.
The impact on employees:
Loss of trust: Team members can feel dismissed or misled when wellbeing messaging doesn't match their day-to-day experience.
Emotional exhaustion: Being told you're supported, without actually receiving support, can be confusing, invalidating, and emotionally draining.
Disengagement: When care isn't visible, employees may feel less motivated, less safe, and less willing to be open or invested in their work.
The impact on businesses:
Damaged reputation: Authenticity doesn't stay hidden for long. Employees are increasingly willing to speak out, whether through word of mouth, social media, or platforms like Glassdoor.
Increased turnover: When people don't feel valued, protected, or sincerely cared for, they start looking elsewhere — costing businesses their best talent.
Wasted resources: Investing time, budget, and energy into surface-level initiatives without meaningful results drains resources that could be used to drive real, lasting change.
If a business truly wants to be seen as a place where people thrive, wellbeing can't just be a campaign — it must be part of the culture.
How to avoid wellbeing washing in your business
Avoiding wellbeing washing means going beyond appearances and building an environment where wellbeing is felt, not just discussed. Real impact comes from weaving care and support into the everyday fabric of the organisation. Here's how to start:
Embed wellbeing in your strategy
Wellbeing shouldn't sit in a separate HR initiative; it must be part of your organisational goals and values. That means considering wellbeing when making decisions, setting workloads, and designing policies. It should be as fundamental to your business strategy as performance and growth.
Equip your leaders
Managers and leaders play a crucial role in shaping the culture. Equip them with the skills to recognise signs of mental health struggles, have open and compassionate conversations, and model healthy behaviours themselves. Without leadership buy-in, even the best initiatives will struggle to stick.
Create space for employee voice
Wellbeing isn't something you can assume - you have to ask. Involve employees in shaping the strategy by listening to what they need, acting on feedback, and following up. When employees feel heard and included, trust grows.
Prioritise consistency over campaigns
While awareness weeks can spark meaningful conversations, real change comes from consistent, everyday actions. That means regular check-ins, policy reviews, ongoing initiatives, and embedding wellbeing into daily routines and rhythms — not just special events.
In today's workplace, authenticity matters. Employees are looking for more than polished campaigns or carefully crafted messaging — they want to feel cared for in a real, consistent, and meaningful way. Wellbeing washing can happen without intention, but so can real change. By slowing down, listening to your people, and aligning your messaging with real, everyday actions, your business can move from being performative to truly proactive. Creating a workplace where people feel genuinely supported to thrive.
Contact us if you’d like to learn about building authentic, meaningful wellbeing strategies that support your people. We’d love to help you create a culture where wellbeing is embedded in every aspect of your organisation.