1st Apr 2026

Wellbeing at Work: Why Culture and Environment Matter as Much as Benefits

Chloe Sproston, Director at Blueprint Interiors, recently took part in Insider Media’s Benefits & Wellbeing roundtable, joining leaders from across different sectors to discuss how businesses can better support their people.

Across the discussion, one point came up consistently: wellbeing doesn’t start with a benefits package. It starts much earlier, with culture, behaviour and the everyday experience of work.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the conversation.

The business case for wellbeing

Steve Thomson, Head of Workplace Wellbeing at ISIO, described wellbeing as a business-critical issue. When mental and physical health are under pressure, issues like absenteeism and lower morale quickly come to the surface.

He also pointed out that when businesses take a fragmented approach to wellbeing and benefits, support can lose its impact. It’s worth stepping back and asking whether people understand what is available and whether it meets their needs.

That wider business case is reflected in workplace research too. Steelcase highlights that wellbeing supports happier, more productive people, but also better innovation and stronger organisational performance.

It’s a good reminder that wellbeing isn’t separate from good work. It helps create the conditions for it.

Wellbeing starts with culture

Chloe’s main point during the roundtable was that wellbeing starts with culture, and even the most generous benefits packages can’t fix the wrong foundations:

“You can bolt on all the wellbeing initiatives you like, but if the core behaviours and workload are wrong, you’ll always have a wellbeing issue.”

That idea came through elsewhere in the discussion, too. Danny Hall of Ideagen spoke about the role leaders play in setting the tone and helping people feel seen and heard. Sean Lynch of Citysave also highlighted the stigma that can still surround wellbeing at work.

The workplace has a role to play

Wellbeing support works best when people feel comfortable accessing it, talking about it and trusting it, and the workplace plays a big part in making that possible.

Chloe spoke about the WELL Standard and the value of using a framework that considers both space and policy in supporting wellbeing. Our own office, WorkLife Central, recently achieved WELL Building Standard certification, which gave us the chance to put those principles into practice in our own environment

Design can give people more choice and control over how they work, with settings that support different tasks and different needs. Policy matters too, because it gives people confidence about how spaces can be used and what support is genuinely available.

A wellness room, for example, only becomes useful when people know it is there, understand its purpose and feel comfortable using it. The same applies to wellbeing-led policies, whether that is flexible working, time to reset, or a clear approach that encourages people to use the workplace in ways that support their health and focus.

Wellbeing works best when it is embedded and accessible

One of the most interesting examples from the roundtable was the idea of making wellbeing support visible and easy to access, rather than leaving it in the background.

Alison Reilly of McLaughlin & Harvey shared how the business takes support directly to people through a wellbeing bus, bringing health checks and advice on site. Alison described how the “masculine, I’ll just get on with it culture” could make people reluctant to access support. Making support private, practical and easy to access can make a real difference.

The same thinking applies to the workplace itself. If businesses want people to engage with support, it needs to feel easy, relevant and part of day-to-day life. That might mean quiet spaces, informal areas for conversation, or places to pause and recharge.

The best workplaces take that a step further. They respond to the culture of the teams using them. Different sectors, roles and personalities face different barriers, so wellbeing-focused design needs to reflect the people it supports.

Wellbeing has to be easy to understand and easy to use

Support can only make a difference if people know it is there, understand it and feel comfortable engaging with it.

That was a clear theme in the roundtable. Steve Thomson and Marie Goodwin both raised the issue of benefits becoming fragmented or hard to navigate, while Alicia Wilson of DRPG pointed out that even strong support can miss the mark if it is not communicated clearly or in a way that feels relevant.

Beth Miller of De Montfort University also highlighted the importance of psychological safety, reminding us that people are often judging employers by more than their benefits package alone.

That is why wellbeing has to go beyond policy. It needs to be visible, easy to understand and reflected in the way a workplace feels day to day.

Creating workplaces that support people properly

Wellbeing is shaped by far more than benefits alone. It is influenced by culture, leadership, communication and the environment people experience every day.

If you are thinking about how your workplace can better support wellbeing, it may be time to look beyond benefits and consider the wider experience you are creating every day.

Thank you to Insider Media for having Chloe as part of the roundtable, and to all of the contributors for sharing such valuable insights.