Workplace Health & Wellbeing
Build a healthier, happier workforce with practical wellbeing strategies. From stress risk assessments to mental health support, we help you meet your duty of care.
Why Workplace Wellbeing Matters for Employers
Workplace wellbeing is about creating an environment where employees can work safely, stay healthy, and perform at their best. For employers, this is not optional. Under section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, employers have a general duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare of their employees. This includes mental health. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to carry out risk assessments covering all risks to health, which includes stress and psychosocial hazards. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published Management Standards for work-related stress that set out six key areas employers should address: demands, control, support, relationships, role, and change. Failing to manage these risks can result in enforcement action from the HSE, personal injury claims, and increased absence and turnover.
The scale of the problem is significant. In the most recent HSE statistics, stress, depression, and anxiety accounted for over half of all work-related ill health cases in the UK, and an estimated 17.1 million working days were lost to these conditions in a single year. For small businesses, the impact of even one employee being off with stress can be severe, particularly if there is no one to cover their work. Beyond absence, employers also face the cost of presenteeism, where employees are at work but not functioning effectively due to health or wellbeing issues. Research suggests that presenteeism costs employers more than absence, because the productivity loss is hidden and ongoing. Taking a proactive approach to wellbeing is not about providing yoga classes or fruit bowls. It is about identifying and addressing the workplace factors that cause people to become unwell in the first place.
At Rebox HR, we help employers develop practical, proportionate wellbeing strategies that reflect the realities of running a small business. We carry out stress risk assessments aligned with the HSE Management Standards, draft mental health and wellbeing policies, advise on employee assistance programmes (EAPs), and deliver manager training on recognising and responding to mental health concerns in the workplace. We also help you meet your duty of care obligations when employees are struggling, whether that means making a referral to occupational health, adjusting workloads, or putting a formal support plan in place. Our approach is grounded in employment law and focused on outcomes, not wellness trends.
What We Cover
Practical, expert support across every aspect of health & wellbeing for your business.
Stress Risk Assessments
Stress risk assessments are a legal requirement under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. We carry out assessments aligned with the HSE Management Standards, covering the six key areas of demands, control, support, relationships, role, and change. We identify the specific stressors in your workplace, assess who is at risk, and recommend practical measures to reduce those risks. This gives you a documented basis for demonstrating compliance and a clear action plan for improving working conditions.
Mental Health Policies
A clear mental health policy sets out your organisation's commitment to supporting employee wellbeing, the support available, and the process for employees to raise concerns. We draft policies that are practical and proportionate for small businesses, covering topics such as how to request support, manager responsibilities, confidentiality, and signposting to external services. A well-communicated policy helps reduce stigma and encourages employees to seek help early, before issues escalate into long-term absence or formal grievances.
Wellbeing Strategy Development
A wellbeing strategy goes beyond a policy document. It is a plan for how your business will proactively support employee health and address the factors that contribute to stress, burnout, and disengagement. We help you develop a strategy that is realistic for your size and budget, covering areas such as workload management, flexible working, communication, management culture, and access to support services. We focus on the interventions that evidence shows make the most difference, not expensive programmes with no measurable impact.
Manager Training
Managers are usually the first people to notice when an employee is struggling, but many lack the confidence to have the conversation. We deliver practical training on recognising the signs of poor mental health, having supportive conversations, knowing when to escalate, and understanding the employer's legal obligations. We cover the duty of care under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the interaction with disability discrimination under the Equality Act 2010, and the practical steps managers should take when an employee discloses a mental health condition.
Employee Assistance Programmes
An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) provides employees with access to confidential counselling, advice, and support services, usually via a 24/7 telephone helpline and online resources. We help you select an EAP provider that suits your business size and budget, communicate the service to your team, and monitor its usage and effectiveness. For businesses that are too small for a full EAP, we advise on alternative support options such as mental health first aiders, wellbeing apps, and signposting to NHS and charity services.
Duty of Care Guidance
Employers have a common law duty of care to take reasonable steps to protect employees from foreseeable harm, including harm to their mental health. If an employer knows, or ought to know, that an employee is at risk of psychiatric injury due to workplace stress and fails to take reasonable steps to prevent it, they could face a personal injury claim. We advise on how to fulfil your duty of care in practical terms, including how to respond when an employee discloses a health concern, when to make an occupational health referral, and how to document the steps you have taken to support them.
How We Help
A clear, structured approach from start to finish.
Assessment
We review your current approach to employee wellbeing, including any existing policies, absence data, and the specific challenges your business faces. If you need a stress risk assessment, we carry one out in line with HSE Management Standards. We identify gaps, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
Strategy
We develop a practical wellbeing plan tailored to your business. This might include drafting or updating your mental health policy, recommending an EAP provider, designing manager training, or putting a process in place for responding to employees who are struggling. We focus on actions that will make a real difference, not a long list of aspirational initiatives.
Implementation
We help you put the plan into action, from delivering manager training and rolling out new policies to supporting individual cases where an employee needs help. We also review the plan regularly and help you adapt it as your business and your team's needs change over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is workplace wellbeing a legal requirement?
Yes, in several important respects. Under section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, employers have a duty to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of their employees, so far as is reasonably practicable. This includes mental health. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to carry out risk assessments that cover all risks to health, including stress and psychosocial risks. The HSE can take enforcement action against employers who fail to manage work-related stress. Beyond health and safety legislation, employers also have a common law duty of care and obligations under the Equality Act 2010 where mental health conditions amount to a disability. We help you understand and meet all of these obligations in a practical, proportionate way.
What is a stress risk assessment and do I need one?
A stress risk assessment is a systematic evaluation of the factors in your workplace that could cause or contribute to work-related stress. Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, all employers are required to assess the risks to their employees' health, and this includes stress. The HSE recommends using its Management Standards approach, which covers six key areas: demands (workload, work patterns, work environment), control (how much say employees have over their work), support (from managers and colleagues), relationships (including bullying and harassment), role (clarity of expectations), and change (how organisational change is managed and communicated). We carry out stress risk assessments for small businesses, identify the areas where risk is highest, and recommend practical measures to reduce those risks.
What should a mental health policy include?
A mental health policy should set out your organisation's commitment to supporting employee mental health, the responsibilities of managers and employees, how employees can access support, the confidentiality arrangements, and how mental health considerations will be integrated into existing processes such as absence management, performance management, and risk assessment. It should also include signposting to external support services such as EAPs, the Samaritans, and Mind. The policy should be communicated to all staff and reviewed regularly. We draft mental health policies tailored to your business that are clear, practical, and compliant with your obligations under health and safety legislation and the Equality Act 2010.
When does a mental health condition become a disability?
Under section 6 of the Equality Act 2010, a person has a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. 'Long-term' means the condition has lasted, or is likely to last, at least 12 months, or for the rest of the person's life. 'Substantial' means more than minor or trivial. Common mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and PTSD can meet this definition, depending on their severity and duration. If an employee's mental health condition amounts to a disability, the employer has a duty to make reasonable adjustments under section 20 of the Act and must not treat the employee less favourably because of their disability. We advise on how to assess whether the duty applies and what steps to take.
What is the employer's duty of care for mental health?
The employer's duty of care is a common law obligation to take reasonable steps to protect employees from foreseeable harm. In the context of mental health, this means that if you know, or ought reasonably to know, that an employee is at risk of suffering psychiatric injury due to workplace stress or other factors, you must take reasonable steps to prevent that harm. This was established in cases such as Hatton v Sutherland [2002] and Barber v Somerset County Council [2004]. In practice, this means being alert to signs of stress, responding when an employee raises concerns, not placing unreasonable demands on employees, and making reasonable adjustments where needed. We help employers understand their duty of care and put practical measures in place to meet it.
How can I reduce presenteeism in my workplace?
Presenteeism occurs when employees come to work despite being unwell or unable to function effectively, often because of a culture that discourages absence or because employees feel they cannot afford to take time off. It is estimated to cost employers more than absenteeism in terms of lost productivity. To reduce presenteeism, you need to address its root causes. This means creating a culture where employees feel comfortable taking genuine sick leave, training managers to recognise when someone is struggling, reviewing workloads to prevent chronic overwork, and providing access to support services such as EAPs. It also means reviewing your absence management policies to make sure they are not inadvertently penalising employees for taking the time they need to recover. We help employers identify the drivers of presenteeism in their business and develop a practical response.
Do I need to provide an Employee Assistance Programme?
There is no legal requirement to provide an EAP, but it is increasingly recognised as good practice and can help employers demonstrate that they take employee wellbeing seriously. An EAP typically provides confidential telephone counselling, online resources, and sometimes face-to-face support for a range of issues including stress, anxiety, bereavement, financial problems, and relationship difficulties. Costs vary depending on the provider and the level of service, but basic EAPs for small businesses can start from just a few pounds per employee per month. We help you evaluate whether an EAP is the right investment for your business, compare providers, and communicate the service to your team so it is actually used.
What manager training do you offer on mental health?
We deliver practical, interactive training sessions for managers on workplace mental health. The training covers recognising the signs and symptoms of common mental health conditions, how to have a supportive conversation with an employee who may be struggling, understanding the legal framework including the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Equality Act 2010, knowing when and how to escalate concerns, and the practical steps managers should take when an employee discloses a mental health issue. We tailor every session to your business, using scenarios relevant to your industry and your managers' experience level. Training can be delivered at your premises or remotely and is available as a standalone workshop or as part of our retained HR support.
“Working with Natalie has been great. As a small charity growing to medium sized, we just don't have the in house HR expertise required for the trickier bits. Natalie has been able to lean in when required to advise and facilitate in areas where we could have easily miss-stepped our way through without her help.”
Related Services
Health & Safety
Comprehensive health and safety support for employers, including risk assessments, policy development, and compliance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Health & Safety →Occupational Health
Guidance on occupational health referrals, interpreting OH reports, reasonable adjustments, and return-to-work planning for employees with health conditions.
Occupational Health →HR Training
Bespoke training for managers on mental health awareness, managing difficult conversations, and building a supportive workplace culture.
HR Training →Need Help With Workplace Wellbeing?
Whether you need a stress risk assessment, a mental health policy, or manager training, we can help. Book a free, no-obligation consultation and let us support you in creating a healthier, more productive workplace.
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