Earlier this year, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) asked employees whether their employers were guilty of well-being washing, which is the practice of claiming to support employees' well-being—such as on blogs, social media, or the company intranet—without providing any tangible support. Workers from more than 60 countries responded to the poll, in which 51 percent of respondents said their employers were guilty of well-being washing.
The 400 respondents to IOSH's poll aren't alone. Financial well-being company Claro Wellbeing polled 1,000 workers in the UK and determined that 38 percent thought their employers engage in well-being washing.
Companies around the world took notice of mental health awareness on the heels of COVID-19, when, according to Google, users searched "how to maintain mental health" more than ever before. Clearly, some companies have been disingenuous—for example, Claro Wellbeing reports that while 71 percent of employers celebrate mental health awareness days and weeks, only 36 percent of respondents deemed their companies' mental health support as "good" or "outstanding."
