When benefits do not address the reason people leave
Benefits can support people, but they cannot compensate reliably for work that remains impossible to deliver within available capacity.
The performance question
A new wellness benefit may be welcome while the underlying problem is a persistent vacancy, conflicting targets or unacceptable behaviour. Investigate the reason for concern before buying another service. Do not frame a useful benefit and better working conditions as mutually exclusive choices.
What the evidence supports
NICE NG212 section 1.6.1 says individual approaches should not replace organisational strategies for reducing work stressors or be used mainly to increase productivity. This is a clear limit on treating wellness provision as the answer to excessive demands.[1]
A practical approach
Compare the issues raised by staff with what the current benefits actually address. If the gap is workload, change allocation or cover. If it is conflict, use the relevant management process. Preserve access to helpful personal support and explain that using it is not a condition for obtaining work changes.
How to review progress
Review unresolved work stressors separately from benefit uptake and satisfaction. An increase in use can reflect better awareness or greater need, so it is not inherently success or failure. Ask staff whether the original demand changed.
Sources and references
- Mental wellbeing at work Opens in a new tab
NICE
NG212 sections 1.1 to 1.6: strategy, environment, managers and individual support