At Carrington West, we’re incredibly proud to hold the Platinum level accreditation from Investors in People (IIP) for wellbeing, a recognition achieved by just a small fraction of organisations. More recently, we’ve been shortlisted for the prestigious IIP Wellbeing Award. These accolades are not just milestones; they reflect our ongoing commitment to creating a workplace where people can thrive. So, it’s with great interest that I read IIP’s latest whitepaper, “When the Perks Don’t Work” a timely and honest assessment of how many employers are falling short, despite good intentions.
Are We Getting Wellbeing Wrong?
The report lays bare a worrying trend: despite record spending on wellness initiatives, UK workplace wellbeing is in crisis. Staff sickness now costs businesses £103bn annually, and mental health challenges are rising. The core argument? Many organisations are investing in perks that don’t address the root causes of poor wellbeing, offering fruit bowls and fitness apps instead of tackling toxic cultures, poor leadership, or unrealistic workloads.
As someone who leads HR at a people-centric business, this hit home. Yes, at Carrington West, we do offer what some might label ‘superficial’ perks such as free fruit, wellness apps, even wellness weeks. But we don’t stop there, and we certainly don’t pretend these things alone can “fix” wellbeing.
It Starts with a Strategy.
Our wellbeing strategy is deliberately built into our broader business plan. We align every initiative, whether it’s mental health first aid training, one-to-one wellbeing check-ins, or financial coaching, with our four wellbeing pillars: mental, physical, social and financial. It’s not about being trendy; it’s about being effective.
Where the IIP report critiques the lack of measurement in many organisations, we’ve embedded constant feedback loops using Wotter, our real-time employee engagement tool. This helps us act before issues escalate. We also monitor quantitative metrics like sickness absence, Bradford Scores, and mental health claims data to identify trends.
When we noticed a rise in sickness days in 2024, we didn’t blame external pressures (though recruitment market challenges and organisational changes did play a role). We took action. We refined our strategy, launched new interventions, and opened up more dialogue with our teams.
The report rightly points out the mismatch between what HR leaders think employees value and what employees actually find helpful. It’s sobering to learn that only 27% of employees find wellness apps effective, or that nearly half never use services on offer.
However, that’s not a reason to ditch these benefits. What’s needed, and what we’ve learned, is better communication, employee-led design, and regular iteration. For example, when we found that some benefits had low uptake, we didn’t scrap them. We asked why, repackaged how they were communicated, and saw engagement rise.
We also agree with the report's emphasis on flexible working, supportive leadership, and recognition as key drivers of wellbeing. That’s why we’ve invested in management training focused on emotional intelligence, created a peer-led mental health support network, and embedded recognition into our culture (with over 600 peer “thank-yous” logged last year alone).
Looking Forward
Our future wellbeing roadmap includes more targeted, data-led support, AI-assisted stress indicators, and stronger links between wellbeing and performance through investment into HR tools and platforms. We’re also expanding financial wellbeing programmes, in direct response to employee feedback.
The IIP report concludes that perks alone don’t work, and we wholeheartedly agree. But when part of a meaningful, strategic, and responsive wellbeing framework, even simple gestures like a free apple or a thank-you card can become part of a much larger cultural ecosystem that genuinely helps people feel better at work.
We don’t claim to have all the answers. But we do have a culture where asking questions, listening to feedback, and adapting based on real data is the norm. That’s what we believe sets Carrington West apart, and why we’re so proud to be shortlisted for an award that celebrates not just what you give your people, but how you make them feel.
