We recently observed World Mental Health Day. There were an abundance of initiatives, programs and events to mark the day, as evidenced by the posts of LinkedIn and the influx of speaking enquiries I received for this date. Whilst I genuinely applaud the companies that invested in their people and hosted an event/workshop/lunch to raise awareness about mental health, I want to (controversially) ask, have these one-off events resulted in real change?

I believe there are many superficial, tokenistic gestures to optimise and support people’s wellbeing and mental health- everything from EAPs, gym memberships and subsidised healthy food options. Something referred to as ‘wellbeing washing’ (and we know it must be serious if there are formal names given to describe an observed phenomenon). However, I want to pose the question, “Will these programs and initiatives drive genuine and sustainable improvements to people’s mental health?” (This is one of the many reasons I offer my speaking clients a plethora of ‘off-stage’ learning experiences that extend learning beyond the keynote).

Now please don’t misconstrue what I’m saying. There are a myriad of reasons why businesses need to invest in their people’s mental health. Put simply, when your people thrive your business thrives too. For example, research from the Wellbeing Research Institute and University of Oxford found compelling correlational data to suggest organisations should invest in the wellbeing of their employees. Their data shows that companies with higher subjective wellbeing outperform the stock market consistently. Recent findings reveal that the top 100 organizations boasting excellent wellbeing scores yielded an 11% greater return than the broader S&P 500 between January 2021 and July 2024. This data emphasises that prioritising employee wellbeing isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a strategic business decision.

The Limitations of Traditional Wellbeing Programs

Most companies have implemented standard wellness programs that focus on generalised wellbeing and health goals—think gym memberships, health fairs and stress management workshops. While these initiatives have merit, they typically adopt a one-size-fits-all approach that fails to recognise the diverse needs of employees and the nuanced behaviours that impact their wellbeing and performance. Traditional corporate wellness programs often don’t consider the intricacies of individual lifestyles and health metrics. This lack of personalisation can lead to low engagement and minimal impact on employee wellbeing and health. This could also explain why there’s a low uptake of EAPs!

Employees and their leaders are complex individuals with unique lifestyles, health conditions and preferences. Their role and demands within the organisation can be substantially different, employee to employee. By relying solely on traditional, generic approaches, organisations risk missing out on opportunities to foster a truly healthy work environment: one that genuinely supports people’s mental health. This is where wearable technologies can come into play.

Wearables: A Game-Changer for Employee Wellbeing

Wearables, such as fitness trackers, smart rings and health monitoring devices, provide real-time biometric data that can revolutionise how we approach workplace wellness. Companies like Oura have recently secured significant contracts, such as the Pentagon’s $96 million investment in Oura smart ring services, to help monitor and enhance employee health. This kind of investment illustrates a growing recognition of the importance of data-driven health strategies in professional settings.

I’m personally working with some forward-thinking organisations where we’re using a wearable device (I personally use and recommend WHOOP) to help optimise their team’s wellbeing and performance (because there’s a symbiotic relationship between the two).

Personalised Health and Wellbeing Insights

Wearables collect a plethora of biometric data, including heart rate, stress, sleep patterns, HRV (heart rate variability) and activity levels just to name a few. This data can be anonymised and aggregated (I do this with a handful of clients) and this information allows employers to gain powerful, customised insights into the overall health of their workforce. Unlike traditional programs that offer broad recommendations, wearables enable organisations to develop tailored and targeted wellbeing strategies based on real (anonymised) data.

For instance, if a group of employees consistently reports inadequate sleep, companies can introduce specific interventions aimed at improving sleep hygiene. These insights can offer tailored workshops that explicitly address sleep, as opposed to many ‘spray and pray’ wellbeing initiatives that look at address a plethora of issues, or attempt to pinpoint one issue based on some anecdotal conversations or worst, a hunch of what is required in terms of employees’ and leaders’ wellbeing.

Proactive Health Management

Biometric data empowers organisations to take a proactive approach to employee health. Instead of waiting for employees or managers to report issues, companies can identify trends and potential health risks early on, if they elect to anonymise and aggregate their data which is possible on platforms such as WHOOP Unite. For example, if an employee’s stress levels are consistently high, management can intervene by offering tailored support resources—be it specific mental health days, access to counselors, or specific training to address an explicit mental health need. This proactive stance can prevent burnout deteriorating mental health and improve overall job satisfaction.

Enhanced Employee Engagement

Engaging employees in their wellbeing is crucial for the success of any program. Wearables can gamify health and wellbeing, turning it into a community-oriented effort, or provide user-specific data that individuals can measure and track over time. I work with teams in my Optimised Group Coaching Program to help them understand how to interpret and optimise their data from their WHOOP strap to drive sustainable productivity and wellbeing. By empowering employees and leaders how to understand their unique biometric data, organisations can create a culture of genuine and active wellbeing, not tokenistic, passive pursuits.

Real-Time Feedback for Continuous Improvement

With wearables, employees and leaders receive real-time feedback about their health behaviours by looking at how things such as their sleep quality and quantity, recovery, stress, strain and other metrics impact their mental health and performance. This immediate feedback loop can motivate employees to make healthier choices, leading to improved outcomes. Wearables can also quantify the impact of various changes, which are often incremental and invisible. For example, if a user sees that their activity level has dipped, they may be more inclined to take a walk during their lunch break and notice how this seemingly small habit change impacts their stress and recovery.

I recently worked with an executive who noticed, by tracking her WHOOP data, that a late-night meal often resulted in much poorer sleep performance and significantly lower recovery. By adjusting the timing of her last meal (ideally we should finish eating 2-3 hours before we fall asleep), her sleep performance and recovery scores improved substantially. This ongoing feedback loop creates a dynamic environment where employees and leaders feel empowered to take control of their health, ultimately enhancing both their productivity and mental health.

Data-Driven Decision Making

Data can drive strategic decisions, not just in terms of an organisation’s performance and profitability, but also in terms of the people working or leading that business. 91% of WHOOP users report building healthier habits. Organisations that harness the power of wearable technology can analyse trends and patterns over time (if they’re electing to collect and analyse team data), or can empower individuals to optimise their performance (if they’re instead, providing their employees and leaders with wearables and teaching them how to interpret and improve their biometric data, which is what I help teams to do). This data can inform future wellbeing initiatives, allowing companies to invest in programs that yield the highest returns on employee health.

The Future of Workplace Wellness

As we look toward the future, it is clear that traditional, one-off mental health programs alone will not suffice. WHilst they can certainly raise awareness and instigate conversations and changes, I believe that they need to be complemented by other data-driven initiatives and this is where I can see wearables playing an integral role. The integration of wearable technology and biometric data into workplace wellness strategies marks a significant evolution in how organisations can now approach employee health and make genuine change.

By embracing a more tailored and data-driven approach, companies can enhance employee engagement, foster a healthier work environment which will ultimately drive business success. The question is no longer whether to adopt wearable technology but rather how soon can we start to leverage this innovative solution to create thriving workplaces?

This is exactly what I do with executives via VIP Performance Coaching Days or 90-Minute Power-Up Sessions, or ongoing performance coaching in my Elevated Program, or with corporate teams who want to power-up their performance via my Optimised Coaching Program. Reach out if I can help your team to power-up their performance and wellbeing.