Hi Reader
I recently came across a workplace term that stopped me mid-scroll.
Wellbeing washing.
As I dive deeper into my PhD application research on burnout and employee wellbeing, I stumbled across a 2025 scoping review that unpacks this emerging concept.
Think of it like greenwashing, but for your workforce.
It's when an organisation appears to invest in employee wellbeing—wellness apps, mental health days, office relaxation corners—but employees experience little to no meaningful improvement.
It's like putting a scented candle in a burning building. The room smells lovely, but it's still on fire.
The Gap Between Performance and Reality
A people strategy is not the same as execution. The gap between what companies say they prioritize and what employees actually feel is where wellbeing washing lives.
The research shows the consequences aren't just low morale. We're seeing increased stress, accelerated burnout, higher staff turnover, and long-term reputational damage for organisations.
More seriously: It lets organisations off the hook.
They can point to their wellness budget, mindfulness sessions, subsidized gym memberships—and say they're doing something. Meanwhile, workloads are unsustainable. Deadlines are unrealistic. Boundaries are nonexistent. People are burning out.
Why This Matters
Concepts like burnout and mindfulness only gained traction in academic circles because practitioners first named what they were witnessing on the ground. Wellbeing washing is following the same path.
The people paying the price for performative wellbeing deserve better than a wellness day massage and a meditation app subscription.
The problem isn't that employees don't know how to meditate or stretch or breathe. The problem is that they're being asked to do the emotional and physical labor of recovering from conditions their workplace created—while those conditions remain unchanged.
Wellbeing washing says: The problem is you. Here's an app to fix yourself.
Real wellbeing says: The problem is the system. Let's change it.
Your life is precious. Your time, energy, and health matter. Not because you're productive. Because you're human.
And no amount of corporate wellness theatre changes the fact that if the building is on fire, you need to put out the fire, not hand out scented candles.
Your turn:
Have you experienced wellbeing washing in your workplace? What did it look like? Hit reply, I'd love to hear your story.
Thanks for being here.
Bernadette
Founder, The Healthy Wealth
P.S. If your "workplace wellness" initiatives aren't helping, let's talk. Real support looks different from what you've been offered.
