Beautifully worded, ​@Naturally Mindful !

I can remember ​@FWolfenden bringing up a similar question during our meetup earlier this year in Cambridge. She asked, more or less, where do the responsibilities of an employer begin and/ or end when it comes to the wellbeing of their employees? Fascinating questions. Tagging some folks who I think could provide some insight!

​@HRJoy ​@HRHappiness ​@andra.enache ​@SabbuSchreiber ​@damayantichowdhury09 ​@HannahPorteous-Butler ​@Kim Stringer ​@SophieA ​@People Person ​@xtine08 ​@SalC ​@JHBEM 

Thank you Moe.

I look forward to the on-going conversation.

David

My personal view is that the employer’s responsibility is to provide meaningful work, trust their employees to do that work in the best way possible, and pay them appropriately to do so. 

Your employer should provide the right conditions for you to feel valued, appreciated and recognised four your efforts - providing honest feedback, thanking you for a job well done, not leaving you in the dark about any issues or concerns they might have about your work.

I don’t feel that the employer has a responsibility to act as a counsellor, therapist, or carer. In the same way that you wouldn't expect your employer or a colleague to do minor surgery on a leg wound, you shouldn’t expect them to be the right person to ‘treat’ your mental health. You should expect your employer to support you as you seek the appropriate help - provide signposts, be flexible about time off, etc. 

I have never liked the idea of Mental Health First Aiders - I personally don’t think mental health can be viewed in the same way as physical health in terms of employees being first responders; I think it puts too much pressure on non-mental health professionals to deal with people in crisis. It also gives the employer a false sense of having ‘done the right thing’, and gives them an excuse not to do any more than the absolute bare minimum!

I think the ‘box ticking’ around employees’ mental health happens when the basic conditions of employment are not right, and that comes from the top of an organisation. When the bosses aren’t on board with doing even the basics, it’s left to those middle managers, or colleagues, to try and do the right thing (eg mental health first aid training) as a way to close that gap. But it will never truly work.

I'm with you, HRJOY. and I believe employers who go that bit extra to provide learning opportunities for creativity's sake, will reap their rewards in the long term. 

Wow, what an important topic — and one with so many layers to explore!

I agree with much of what’s been shared already; both perspectives raise valuable points. That said, I think there are some deeper dimensions worth highlighting.

In my opinion, mental health at work should be a shared responsibility between employers, teams and individuals. And of course society at large but that’s a whole other topic alltogether.

• Employers, because they are the ones shaping the environment (having defined values, a written policy, etc. but not acting on it is just as xxx)
• Teams, because they’re the closest to the individual and can foster support
• Individuals, because seeking the help they need is their responsibility (as bad as we sometimes want to, we can’t help someone who doesn’t want to be helped)

It’s well known that things like workload, poor communication, or toxic management often cause mental distress. No amount of meditation sessions will fix that.

Most companies’ focus is on reactive support, but what we really need are preventative approaches like psychologically safe teams, sustainable workloads, and leaders who model balance (which unfortunately in today’s world is rare to find). And let’s not forget - leaders are also affected by the same pressures and systemic issues.

I guess it’s practically impossible to find a one-size-fits-all solution as it often fails people with different lived experiences.

Thank you, Sabbuschreiber, for your perspective. I agree that it is all down to communication between the different shareholders in our collective mental wellbeing. Your point about meditation being in some way an attempt to address or divert from the strains of the workplace is interesting to me. I understand that its purpose and power have been misunderstood and distorted by some employers placing the responsibility on the employee to address the ‘problem’ with meditation, relinquishing responsibility for creating the conditions that erode mental wellbeing. The point I’d like to clarify here is that mindfulness meditation practice, when guided by an expert teacher who understands workplace dynamics, can become a life-skill to manage how we react to external stressors, like workload, poor management and abusive team dynamics, thereby learning to better understand the nature of stress and distress, while turning to other sources of support to address the challenge, while maintaining a sense of perspective and confidence. I believe it is in all stakeholders best interests to develop these survival skills, particularly the employers and as such has good reason to invest in such evidence based and kind training development.

Hi ​@Naturally Mindful,

Absolutely, I agree with you. Meditation and mindfulness can be powerful tools for building awareness and staying centered. But from my experience, it's incredibly difficult to maintain that inner stability if the external environment remains unchanged.

There’s a quote I often think of: “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Or to put it another way: “Surround yourself with ten drug addicts, you’re likely to become the eleventh. Surround yourself with ten successful people, and you're likely to become the eleventh.”

We spend a huge portion of our lives at work, so it’s only natural that our environment - and the people we’re around daily - has a deep impact on our wellbeing.

That said, I fully believe in the power of strengthening ourselves through self-awareness, meditation, and intentional self-care. These practices absolutely help. But if the workplace remains fundamentally toxic or unsafe, then one of the most empowering choices we can make is to change the environment - even if that means leaving it altogether.

Btw, for anyone who’s interested. I just now read an article about resilience. Although it’s in German, Gemini or ChatGPT could help with translation.

Here’s a short summary (with the help of my friend, ChatGPT ):

Psychoanalyst Peter Schneider discusses the rising number of mental health-related disability pensions among young people in Switzerland. He challenges the notion that this trend is purely due to psychological illness, suggesting instead that a misalignment between individuals' capacities and modern work demands plays a crucial role.

He argues that many supposed “improvements” in the workplace—like inefficient software or overstimulating environments—create stress rather than alleviate it. Schneider critiques oversimplified narratives that blame screen time or the pandemic, calling for a more nuanced understanding of stressors that vary by industry and life circumstances.

On resilience, he rejects the popular idea that it can simply be trained. Instead, he describes it as a statistical and context-dependent phenomenon, influenced by upbringing and environment—not a universally teachable skill.

Schneider also questions mental health initiatives in corporate settings. He sees offerings like mindfulness or resilience coaching as superficial solutions to deeper, systemic issues. He emphasizes that workplace design and job structure (e.g., open-plan offices, unrealistic expectations, rigid systems) often go unexamined despite being key stressors.

Regarding AI, he suggests that rather than using it to intensify productivity, it could ideally free up time and reduce workload. He’s also skeptical of AI in therapy, noting it reveals how formulaic much of modern psychotherapy has become.

Finally, Schneider critiques the ideology of self-responsibility in the workplace. He sees it as unrealistic and often hypocritical—people are expected to take responsibility for things they don’t control (like tools or systems), while organizations neglect structural changes that could genuinely support well-being.

Thank you all for the interesting perspectives above!  I have nothing of note to share as I think all of the above is relevant in some way!  We’re a scaling company so budgets are tight, but staying abreast of what is important and needed to ensure success if very helpful for me, so thank you ​@Naturally Mindful.  We are looking at an on-going personalized initiative for 2026 which is supported by qualified practitioners and I am excited to see if that is used by colleagues here at Arctoris. 

Have a good day everyone.  Thanks, Sally 

I really value all the points raised here: they’re all valid and thought-provoking. From my perspective, when we support employees in areas that might seem 'unrelated' to their roles, we actually enable them to perform at their best. It’s all connected.

Creating a psychologically safe environment is the foundation for innovation, productivity, and long-term retention. When people feel safe to show up as themselves, and to share aspects of their lives that may impact their mental health or performance, it benefits both the individual and the organisation.
 

Thank you ​@Naturally Mindful for sharing your thoughts on perhaps  the most important topic that must be recognised by any workplace. Thank you everyone for sharing your thoughts and views above as well!

I would just like to add as someone that has been responsible for ensuring employee wellbeing in my organisation that I have witnessed several companies creating their USP to be “our people are our most valuable asset” but following up on that is certainly difficult and the point made above about proactive techniques being put in place rather than reacting to an already difficult situation is something that resonates with me. I believe this is aligned with ensuring that the workplace is safe, secure and respectful for employees in everyway from the very beginning!