Evolve Workplace Wellbeing: Expanding the range and reach of evidence-informed resources for improving workplace wellbeing

A multi-disciplinary team, led by the University of East Anglia, carried out seven years of UKRI-funded research on wellbeing and productivity at work. In addition to over 75 research outputs to date, we translated the findings into a free online business-facing toolkit: www.evolveworkplacewellbeing.org. The evidence-informed resources include a guide to implementing workplace wellbeing, a cost-effectiveness calculator, a free online course for managers, videos, podcasts and case studies. The toolkit helps HR and senior managers learn and action plan effective strategies for ensuring employees are physically and mentally fit to work, and for reducing staff turnover and absence. It is particularly important to the UK that businesses access and use evidence-informed ways of tackling the current productivity problem. The UK is in the bottom half of OECD productivity rankings, well below France, Germany, the US. A major cause of lost productive time is poor wellbeing: via staff turnover, mental and physical ill health absence or in-work loss of performance. UK business and public sector managers tell us they want trustworthy insight and guidance on how to translate evidence insight into practice in real life settings. The free Evolve Workplace Wellbeing online toolkit has existed since May 2022 and received excellent feedback (evidenced in our 2023 evaluation report). We now propose taking the Evolve brand further by developing fee-generating online resources and training activities. Our evaluation showed we are well-placed to provide a needed and wanted resource because users trust our integrity in a product space where many providers draw their advice from narrow experience and anecdote. Funding the development and growth of the range of products Evolve offers will maximise the ongoing and future impact of the original research investment and allow for marketing and promotion beyond the early adopters already benefitting from the Evolve approach. In developing our ‘freemium’ model, we would offer the current toolkit for free and then additionally support practitioners on their workplace wellbeing organisational development journey with further online resources and deeper training opportunities. The details of the potential offer are currently being developed but are likely to differ by level of interaction between team and customer. An off-the-shelf offering would sell online action planning packs / video training courses on specific topics requested by existing toolkit users, such as how to self-assess the cost-effectiveness of wellbeing initiatives or how to evaluate workplace wellbeing trends in an organisation. A bespoke offering would offer a more tailored experience, helping HR practitioners and managers with organisational change for workplace wellbeing. Practitioners have told us they feel overwhelmed by the claims made by different wellbeing initiative providers and want no-nonsense insight into ‘what works’ and ‘how to make it work’, with robust evidence they can use to help them make the business case for investment. We can address this need and have an existing reputation for research rigour, cost-effectiveness insight and established record in making our content relevant and accessible. By offering them what they need, we give them confidence and legitimacy to act within their businesses, with knock-on benefits for the wellbeing of employees, their productivity and the reputation of their employer.