Leadership Upgrade: Why Wellbeing Check-ins are a Non-Negotiable
True story. At the end of a leading wellbeing workshop recently, one of the leaders told me about the difficulty managers have in looking after the wellbeing of their teams - because many of them weren’t raised to talk about their feelings. Some of them have figured out how to get into these topics, but others can’t bridge the emotional gap. For them, “work is work and feelings stay at home”.
His eyes said it all, when he told me the younger generations see him as an ‘old dinosaur’, and the struggles his team has to bridge the gap so these conversations can be had.
Here’s what I want to tell leaders today.
It’s not that you’re an ‘old dinosaur’. You come with years of experience and wisdom that are essential to the growth of your teams. It’s that the way we do things these days is different to how it was before.
It is possible to make an active, positive impact on your team’s wellbeing and it doesn’t have to take much time out of your busy day. You can build the kind of relationships that keep people happier, healthier, and in their jobs longer, by learning how to lead wellbeing with impact.
Given the current pressure to conform to legislative requirements in managing psychosocial risk, think of these wellbeing strategy as an added form of protection. You can catch some issues before they escalate, and save a lot of headache for your organisation later on.
Why support Middle Managers?
Middle managers are caught, quite literally, in the middle. They’re in a difficult position, squeezed between the needs of their teams and the expectations of their leaders. Like plate spinners at the circus, they’re expected to support their teams' wellbeing while simultaneously meeting performance demands. Yet, many lack the time, skills, and confidence to understand how to pay proper attention to wellbeing on top. And many feel unsupported to do so.
Recent studies paint a stark picture:
Two-thirds of middle managers believe business leaders are detached from daily operations and ignore growing employee stress levels.
73% say leaders prioritize profits over employee welfare.
68% report a decline in their own mental wellbeing due to increased job pressure.
Source: Perkbox Australia study, 2024)
This is a slow-moving train wreck. And without intervention, it will only get worse.
As leaders, your job is to keep a finger on the pulse of your organisation. Moving with the times means acknowledging that, not only should you place wellbeing strategically into your plans, but also that to do it well, you need to provide the training and support you and your managers need.
Workplaces that empower managers with the confidence and skills to conduct regular wellbeing check-ins are one step ahead in preventing psychosocial hazards. Regular check-ins don’t just address stress early - they create a culture of trust and psychological safety that binds teams together in hard times, and gives them wings to soar in times of strength.
When wellbeing conversations become routine rather than reactive, employees are more likely to seek support when they truly need it. Without this, invisible pressures - rising cost of living, work overload, personal stress - continue to build unchecked, leading to burnout, extended absences, or even compensation claims.
What is the Risk of Doing Nothing?
Ignoring workplace wellbeing isn’t just a people issue - it’s a business risk.
Unaddressed stress leads to higher turnover, lower engagement, and increased absenteeism.
Workplaces without strong psychosocial risk management face potential regulatory action.
Leaders who fail to invest in wellbeing strategies increase financial risk due to burnout-related leave and compensation claims.
Taking a Proactive Approach to Wellbeing
To truly support employees, organisations must shift from reactive solutions to proactive, preventative approaches. This means equipping managers with the tools to have wellbeing conversations consistently and effectively - not as a tick-the-box exercise, but as a core leadership skill.
Leaders and HR teams who take this approach see measurable benefits:
Greater psychological safety, reducing the likelihood of employee disengagement.
Early intervention in wellbeing concerns, preventing burnout and absenteeism.
Stronger team cohesion, especially for managers bridging generational gaps.
Compliance with evolving psychosocial risk management requirements.
To do this, it’s important to understand that:
Wellbeing is a learnable skill.
It might take a shift in perception, but it is important to understand that wellbeing is a learnable skill. If you treat it as such, you’re going to be a lot more confident in approaching the topic than if you treat it as an elusive, tricky subject that you can’t get your head around.Workplaces need to know this if they want to attract top younger talent.
Younger generations are demanding workplaces are aware of the subtleties of modern life, including bringing your ‘whole self’ to work. It is not enough to expect them to leave their feelings at the door, and organisations that embrace and plan for this are winning the talent that performs their best.
Younger generations are choosing their roles based on more than the salary.
While compensation still plays a critical role in decision-making, many people are now looking for more lifestyle support than just the dollar value. People are looking for organisations that have a positive impact in the world, where their values align with their work and where they are supported in their whole life, not just in performing well for the company.
Join the Conversation
Supporting managers in their role as wellbeing leaders isn’t optional—it’s essential. To take the first step in building trust and equipping managers with the right tools, join one of our upcoming workshops to learn about supporting wellbeing at work.
The time for ‘wellbeing washing’ is over. Now is the moment for organisations to step up, equip their managers, and build workplaces where people thrive—not just survive.
Join us now and start the journey toward a workplace where wellbeing is not just a conversation, but a commitment.
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