By Amanda Kavanagh
Individual-level interventions to deal with work-related stress are popular, but a recent study challenges the effectiveness of wellbeing programmes that focus on self-improvement.
ADVERTISEMENTThere is no difference in the mental health of employees who participated in workplace wellbeing programmes and those who didn't, according to a January study of more than 46,000 workers in the United Kingdom.
The research compared participants and non-participants in a range of common individual-level wellbeing initiatives, including resilience training, mindfulness, and access to wellbeing apps.
But across multiple subjective wellbeing indicators, those who used these programmes appeared no better off.
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This is disappointing because the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)’s annual report shows that over half of UK, employers are taking this ineffective tack and report having a formal wellbeing strategy, with another third providing at least ad hoc support. These counts have risen steadily over the past decade.
ADVERTISEMENTDespite formal recommendations and evidence supporting the effectiveness of organisational change and work redesign to improve wellbeing, interventions that focus on the individual are still the most common.
Popular practices
Some of the most popular practices for individual-level interventions include employee assistance programmes (EAPs), counselling, resilience and stress management training, and promoting healthy lifestyles. The interventions analysed were both proactive and reactive.
However, the benefits of these individual-level approaches have been extensively researched and are increasingly debated. Much criticism is levelled at ‘changing the workers, and not the workplace’, as the UK's Trade Union Congress puts it.
Others go further, arguing personalised wellbeing initiatives are more interested in social control than improving wellbeing, with qualitative organisational research substantiating some of these fears.
No reliable difference
There is no reliable difference in mental wellbeing between participants and nonparticipants undergoing relaxation practices, time management, coaching, financial wellbeing programmes, wellbeing apps, online coaching, sleep apps, and sleep events, found the study's author William J Fleming, a Unilever research fellow at the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford.
The only type of project that showed benefits to workers' wellbeing was volunteering as it gave them an increased sense of purpose and accomplishment.
Participants in resilience and stress management training reported that their organisation supports them going through work stress but employees are more likely to report unrealistic time pressures, the study found.
Participants in mindfulness, time management and volunteering programmes all report higher average levels of stress support.
Overall, Fleming found little evidence to support any benefits from these interventions and even found some small indications of harm.
The limits of the research
The research acknowledges its limits and says that future research should evaluate if individual-level interventions are effective alongside organisational change, or whether improvements in working conditions are a better alternative.
ADVERTISEMENTIt also suggests that a combination of approaches could benefit workers by enhancing job resources, while also mitigating job demands.
More emphasis must be placed on the greater benefits of organisational change, rather than individual action, the study found.
Flemming agrees with those in the wellbeing field that organisational interventions, such as changes to scheduling, management practices, staff resources, performance review or job design, appear more beneficial.
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Organisations intent on workplace wellbeing may need to reassess their strategies, focusing on creating supportive work environments, improving job design, and enhancing management practices, instead of quick-fix perks.
Strategies could involve providing comprehensive management training to equip leaders with the skills to support employees effectively, adequately resourcing teams, and redesign work processes and deadlines to reduce unnecessary stress.
Additionally, organisations can focus on implementing flexible working arrangements – flexible in terms of time and location – that cater to diverse employee needs, while generally fostering a culture of open communication and support.
