This #PsychologyWeek, we’re invited to reflect on the theme of Kotahitanga—Uniting for Collective Wellbeing.

One of the most important places we come together is the workplace. Whether in-person or remote, work brings people together across teams, organisations, and communities, making it a powerful place to foster collective wellbeing.

A review of the last 25 years of research on health and wellbeing in the workplace by Sonnentag, Tay, and Shoshan (2023) backs this up. The research is clear that wellbeing at work isn’t just about helping individuals to manage their own stress (fruitbowl anyone?). It’s about creating conditions where people feel valued, supported, and connected, and where they can experience both positive emotions and a sense of meaning and purpose in their work.

So, how do we make that happen? 

Here are four practical focus areas for leaders, HR practitioners, and anyone with influence at work: 

✅Design meaningful work. Build roles with autonomy, variety, and constructive feedback to boost engagement and reduce burnout.

✅Strengthen teams. Foster supportive relationships and belonging. These are powerful protectors of wellbeing and performance.

✅Lead with care. Communicate purpose, role model healthy behaviours, ensure your people are well resourced, and support work-life balance to make a real difference.

✅Empower proactive action. Encourage employees to shape their roles (e.g., through job crafting) and support their peers. Small actions add up to build team wellbeing. 

If you want to explore the research in more detail, check out the open-access article in the comments below 👉

And while you’re there, why not share your experiences or reflections on building wellbeing at work?

#PsychWeek #Leadership #WorkplaceWellbeing #OrganisationalPsychology #HRLeadership #FutureOfWork #PositiveLeadership

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/peps.12572