When your employees are at a BBQ on a Saturday afternoon with their friends and family, how are they talking about your workplace? Are they your biggest advocates?
Daz Burns
We all want our people to thrive. A workplace where employees feel valued, engaged, and supported isn’t just good for them, it’s good for business. When wellbeing is embedded into the way we work, teams are more productive, retention improves, and businesses grow stronger.
Yet despite growing awareness and discussion, in general, from stats and conversations I’ve had with people around the motu, sadly, there has not been any significant positive shift in workplace wellbeing for our people in Aotearoa.
There is certainly awareness, but there is also a bit of ‘wellbeing washing’ – superficial initiatives masquerading as meaningful support – with quick fixes, like fruit bowls or monthly food trucks. While they might bring a moment of joy, they don’t address the deeper challenges people face at work every day.
The reality is, people are stressed, anxious, burnt out, and overwhelmed. We can’t afford to leave workplace wellbeing as something we’ll get to “when we have time.” If it matters, we need to make time.
So, if you’ve been waiting for the right time and you are reading this, take it as a sign that it’s time to step up, start critical conversations, and take intentional actions to genuinely make a difference.
Move beyond surface-level initiatives: Let’s really dig into the root causes of why your team is stressed, anxious, lacking time or not relaxing and able to switch off. What barriers are stopping them from working in a way that feels healthy and sustainable?
Encourage actual work-life balance: Many workplaces say they support balance, but employees still feel pressured to be ‘always on.’ If leaders send emails late at night, book back-to-back meetings, or don’t take breaks throughout the day, then the culture isn’t truly supporting well-being.
Flexibility isn’t just about working from home: It’s about allowing people to work in ways that suit them while still meeting business needs. That might mean adjusting start times, offering results-focused work instead of rigid time-based measures, or simply encouraging people to step away from their desks when they need a breather.
The goal is to have a workplace that doesn’t just function, it thrives. Have a look at a day in the life of one of your team members, their environment, workload, pace, expectations, and connections, and you will quickly find a few easy wins and a few major projects to work on with a longer-term view.
Sentinel Homes Mahi on the Awa – Emily Ussher & Daz Burns, The Good Day Matrix.
