Workers flag poor implementation of well-being policy at workplaces: Report

It found that pressure created by always-on-work culture is a major stressor, with 42% of respondents identifying constant availability demands as their biggest source of workplace stress

A large number of employees across sectors see poor implementation of well-being policies at the workplace as key to rising stress level, pointing to a widespread gap between having a formal policy and real-life experiences, said a report released on Sunday.

The report, 'Beyond the Policy: Lived Experience and Micro-Rituals in Employee Wellbeing', said that 42 per cent of employees find their employers, despite having a policy for workers' well-being, fail in effective execution.

The report by workforce solutions and HR services provider Genius HRTech and market research firm DigiPoll is based on inputs from 1,884 employees across sectors, including information technology, manufacturing, finance and BFSI (banking, financial services and insurance), hospitality, FMCG, among others, in an online survey during July 1 and August 3, 2026.

While 21 per cent of respondents said well-being is embedded in their everyday work culture, 42 per cent felt good policies exist, but execution varies, indicating that implementation remains a key challenge for organisations, the report said.

It also found that pressure created by always-on-work culture is a major stressor, with 42 per cent of respondents identifying constant availability demands as their biggest source of workplace stress.

This is followed by unrealistic deadlines and expectations, cited by 21 per cent, it stated.

At the same time, 52 per cent said feeling trusted and empowered contributes most to their sense of well-being at work, suggesting that while intrusive culture, micro-management and demeaning behaviour from managerial levels create problems, autonomy and trust can play a significant role in countering workplace stress, said the report.

Managerial behaviour has emerged as one of the strongest influences on employees' well-being, with 47 per cent of respondents saying more empathetic managers would make them more comfortable discussing burnout or stress at work, highlighting the importance of leadership behaviour in creating psychologically supportive workplaces, the finding said.

Recognition has also emerged as a powerful workplace well-being driver, with 37 per cent identifying recognition of contributions and employee feedback as the managerial action with the strongest positive impact.

"Employee well-being cannot be treated as just a policy document or an annual initiative. It is experienced through everyday interactions, how managers communicate, whether employees feel trusted, how contributions are recognised and whether people feel safe speaking about challenges. The findings reinforce that organisations need to move from having well-being policies to creating workplace cultures where those policies are lived," Genius HRTech chairman R P Yadav told PTI.

Further, the report found that 36 per cent of respondents considered fair workload distribution the most important aspect of a healthy workplace culture, followed by mutual trust and respect at 24 per cent.

Well-being has also emerged as a key consideration for employees when evaluating their jobs, with 42 per cent identifying it as a top priority, added the report.