Well-being at work is vital for people and organisations as it creates a healthy, productive workplace. Employees feeling physically healthy, psychologically safe, and supported leads to higher engagement, better performance, and lower absence and turnover rates for the business (Suff, 2024). Research, like CIPD surveys, proves this investment brings better employee morale and engagement, a healthier, more inclusive culture, reduced stress levels, lower sickness absence, improved productivity, and higher retention (Woods, 2023). This makes well-being a strategic necessity in a workplace. Unilever treats well-being as a core part of its sustainability and people strategy (Suff, 2024). The company offers resources and campaigns, such as mental health support, flexible working options, and on-site health facilities. Unilever’s leadership understands that healthy employees perform better, especially during cost-of-living crises (Woods, 2023). Prioritising well-being also builds employer brand, helping Unilever rank as a top employer (Unilever.com, 2024). However, many organisations still lack a clear well-being strategy, risking higher stress and burnout, which harm performance. Evidence supports individual health and happiness, fulfilling ethical responsibility, and building a high-performing organisational culture.
The “good work” concept is fundamental to Unilever employees’ well-being. This refers to those works that are fulfilling, fairly rewarded, and well-designed, offering reasonable workload, autonomy, voice, security, and meaning and purpose. Good work satisfies employees’ needs and positively impacts mental and physical health. CIPD research confirms job quality factors (pay, work-life balance, relationships) affect stress and job satisfaction (Faragher, 2023). Poor job quality, like unmanageable workloads, causes anxiety and ill health. Conversely, well-designed jobs enhance well-being where autonomy, a key need in the SCARF theory, empowers people and reduces stress (VQ Solutions, 2024). Unilever strives to provide good work through living wages, growth opportunities, and a safe and inclusive culture. Its commitment to flexible working within the hybrid model improves work-life balance, supporting mental well-being (prod.cipd.org, 2023). Unilever’s mission provides meaning and purpose, boosting emotional well-being and life satisfaction (Unilever.com, 2022). Good work also requires social support from leaders. A positive relationship between colleagues and managers creates belonging and acts as a stress buffer that Unilever fosters through teamwork.
However, poor well-being of staff leaders leads to poor quality work. Declining job quality, seen in workplaces with high workloads or inadequate rewards, increases anxiety, disengagement, and physical illness (Faragher, 2023; Woods, 2023). This affects organisations through higher absence and lower productivity. Unilever recognises that avoiding these risks is essential for a high-performance culture sustainably. The company monitors workloads and ensures fair recognition. The CIPD states that good work is fundamental for individual well-being and organisational success (CIPD UK, 2023). Providing it is a moral duty and key to a healthy, motivated workforce.
References
Suff, R. (2024). Wellbeing at work. [online] CIPD. Available at: https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/factsheets/well-being-factsheet/. Woods, S. (2023). CIPD Wellbeing at work 2023 report summary. [online] Altruist Enterprises. Available at: https://altruistuk.com/blog/2023/cipd-wellbeing-at-work-2023-report-summary. Unilever.com (2024). Employee health and wellbeing. [online] Unilever. Available at: https://www.unilever.com/sustainability/responsible-business/employee-wellbeing/. Faragher, J. (2023). CIPD good work index 2023: Workers less fulfilled and more stressed. [online] Personnel Today. Available at: https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/cipd-good-work-index-2023/. CIPD UK (2023). CIPD | New research suggests 1 in 2 people in Wales are struggling to keep up with monthly bills. [online] CIPD. Available at: https://www.cipd.org/en/about/press-releases/one-in-two-people-in-wales-struggling-to-keep-up-with-monthly-bills/ [Accessed 22 Jun. 2025].
