Research & Insights for Workplace Wellbeing

This paper introduces a practical framework designed to help employers take a more structured approach to workplace mental health. Rather than promoting standalone initiatives, it describes the development of the Mental Health at Work Index™,  a self-assessment tool that enables organisations to evaluate the maturity of their mental health strategy.

The framework is organised around three pillars, Protect, Promote and Provide,  encouraging employers to reduce psychosocial risks, strengthen the positive conditions that support wellbeing, and ensure access to appropriate support and care.

It also sets out 10 categories of employer practice, covering areas such as leadership, work design, communication, training, resources and measurement.

The central message is clear: meaningful progress requires coordinated, organisation-wide effort, not isolated wellbeing activity

It gives employers a structured way to assess and strengthen their approach to mental health.

• It moves beyond one-off initiatives toward a whole-system model

• It emphasises prevention through work design and psychosocial risk management

• It highlights leadership accountability as central

• It encourages consistent measurement and benchmarking

• It helps organisations identify gaps in their current approach

• It positions mental health as an integrated part of organisational strategy

For HR leaders and workplace wellbeing providers, this framework offers a practical lens: it clarifies what a comprehensive mental health strategy should include, and where organisations may need to mature their approach.