Trust is weakening around well-being and pay
This is more than semantics. When people feel emotionally detached from their work, it signals a deeper erosion of trust—trust that their time, energy, and well-being matter. And this erosion is accelerating quietly, under the radar of day-to-day operations.
“Well-being isn’t something you roll out once. It needs to be part of the daily reality of work, embedded into how people join, grow and interact with the organisation.”
Ellen Claes,
People Director, SD Worx
My work is mentally demanding or stressful
Working in this organisation is negatively affecting my mental health.
Mental health is a case in point.
More than half of employers (53%) believe they are supporting employees meaningfully. Yet only 31% of employees agree. It’s a credibility gap with consequences. While 56% say their job is mentally demanding, only 18% have taken mental health leave. One in four employees (26%) go further, saying their organisation is actively harming their mental well-being.
“Too often, organisations launch webinars and apps and think they’ve ticked the box,” adds Marc Vermeesch, SD Worx’s Internal Prevention Advisor.
“Real well-being comes from how work is designed; not just what perks are offered.”
Part of the problem is systemic.
Wellness initiatives are often rolled out as policies rather than embedded as culture. But there’s also a structural oversight—managers, expected to support others, are often struggling themselves.
“Managers are the first line of support, but many are overwhelmed,” Ellen notes. “If we want them to champion well-being, we need to take care of them too.”
My work is mentally demanding or stressful.
Manager
Employee
Working in this organisation is negatively affecting my mental health.
Manager
Employee
Last year I have taken leave for my mental health.
Manager
Employee
How HR leaders can support well-being
“Well-being must be woven into the daily reality of work. The biggest mistake organisations make is treating it like an initiative, instead of a core leadership behaviour. If employees only encounter support during isolated campaigns or workshops, they won’t experience it as real or relevant.
We need to embed well-being at every level: organisational, team, and individual. That means shaping a culture of psychological safety, encouraging supportive team dynamics, and recognising each person’s unique context. From performance check-ins to onboarding, from team rituals to leadership expectations. And we need to back that up with data, using feedback to challenge assumptions and course-correct as needed.
HR leaders also have to stop thinking it’s their job alone. Managers are the frontline of employee experience, and many feel unequipped to support mental health. We must give them tools, training, and space to lead with care. But here’s the thing: if we expect managers to take care of others, we need to take care of them too. That means creating safe environments, manageable workloads, and permission to show vulnerability. A manager who’s burning out can’t be a well-being champion; they need support just as much as their teams.”
Ellen Claes,
People Director, SD Worx
of organisations feel they pay their employees fairly for the work they do
of employees feel that their salary is fair compared to colleagues in similar roles within the organisation.
of employees say their organisation ensures transparency in compensation, including clear communication around reward policies, packages, pay gaps or pay increases.
“You can’t just publish salary ranges and expect trust. Transparency needs to be backed by structure: clear salary frameworks, equity audits, and communication plans.”
— Virginie Verschooris, Reward Manager, SD Worx
As Europe approaches implementation of the EU Pay Transparency Directive, this lack of alignment is more than a cultural issue—it’s a compliance one.
Virginie recommends starting with a snapshot: “A pay equity audit gives you a clear view of where you stand. From there, you can define what transparency looks like for your business — and help managers talk about it with confidence.”
If the last decade was about increasing benefits, the next one may be about restoring belief. That starts with treating transparency not as a legal threshold, but as a leadership behaviour.
Pay transparency tips for HR leaders
“Transparency only builds trust when it’s earned. You can’t just publish salary ranges and expect credibility to follow. First, you need to do the work behind the curtain: identify disparities, fix the gaps, and build structures you can actually stand behind.
That means moving beyond vague promises and into explainable systems. People don’t want corporate speak, they want clarity. What counts in your pay decisions? What does progression look like? Can managers answer those questions with confidence?
Transparency isn’t a finish line, it’s a cultural shift. It starts with intention, moves through education, and succeeds only when leaders stay open. If you’re honest about where you are and where you’re going, people will meet you there.”
Virginie Verschooris,
Reward Manager, SD Worx