“ THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EMPLOYERS “TO ALIGN THEIR FOCUS WITH EMPLOYEE VALUE, COST PRESSURES AND TALENT OBJECTIVES TO ADDRESS HOW THEIR BENEFIT PROGRAMMES ALIGN TO RETIREMENT AND FINANCIAL WELLBEING INITIATIVES.”


HELEN GILCHRIST, HEAD OF DEFINED CONTRIBUTION CONSULTING, WTW


traditional assignments and permanent moves, are well documented. Organisations like Permits Foundation are working hard with legislators worldwide to highlight the important role of paid work in enabling both partners on assignments to have a sense of purpose and belonging that are so important for overall wellbeing. Leading international schools, including members of


Safe Passage Across Networks and Relocate Think Global People award winners, put transitions care at the heart of their education communities for all family members too. Mobility technology, including apps and tech-enabled social networking platforms, are increasingly designed to connect people to places. Together, they are improving the overall employee experience, making the relocation and assignment process more manageable and tailored.


HOW WELL ARE WE DOING ON WORKPLACE WELLBEING? All these aspects are critical for assignment success. They remind us that work and global mobility are fundamental human experiences requiring a human, albeit tech-supported, response. Yet, the latest set of annual benchmarks looking at workplace mental health and wellbeing suggest more can be done to address the wellbeing challenges we all will likely face at some point. They also remind us that wellbeing at work – mental and physical – needs an holistic approach. To support everyone to flourish in the workplace


and wider society, successful wellbeing at work policies are based on a policy framework that responds to the emotional and physical demands of every human life stage. Among leading employers, these might include mentorship and coaching for first moves into the workforce, career progression and international assignments; policies for parenthood and elder care responsibilities; support in policy and practice for the menopause and andropause, as well as mental, physical


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and financial wellbeing. Support also accounts for external and personal events that cannot be planned for – like bereavement, financial difficulties, relationship breakdown and ill health. It means training leadership, front-line managers and colleagues at every level of the business so everyone can be honest and real about their needs in the moment. Yet research still shows that women, people from


ethnic minorities, people who identify as LGBTQ and people with disabilities are less likely to have their wellbeing issues understood or met. Millennials and Gen Z too are also more at risk from mental ill-health studies show. Importantly, they want to work for employers that embrace and live the ideals of good work and that encompass, for example, the CIPDs’ seven tenets of wellbeing: health, good work, values/principles, collective/social, personal growth, financial wellbeing and good lifestyle choices. This holistic view of ‘good work’ as defined by the


CIPD involves job design that offers autonomy supported by good management and defined by clear outcomes that deliver fair reward and benefits. A report earlier this year by employment lawyer Winckworth Sherwood, based on the views of 250 HR leaders and 1,002 employees, shows that for employees, ‘good work’ is one of the biggest protective factors in promoting mental wellbeing and reducing sickness absence. It is followed by fair pay and reward, and then the ability to work flexibly. These broadly align with employers’ views, except that they accented fair pay and reward ahead of good work. Interestingly, on financial wellbeing, WTW’s latest


‘Global Benefits Attitudes Survey’ shows “a significant gap” between the financial wellbeing support employees want from their employer, and the priority employers are placing on financial wellbeing initiatives. Helen Gilchrist, head of defined contribution consulting at WTW, said this is an opportunity for employers “to align


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