A new app launching today helps to solve the biggest workplace wellbeing challenge – how to reach employees who don’t recognise they are stressed and need help.
On Wellbeing‘s new platform and app launches today – and it seeks to support and empower employees with a unique science-backed digital wellbeing platform and app that promises to revolutionise the way organisations prioritise and manage employee wellbeing.
Traditional one-fits-all tools and apps only tend to engage employees who already recognise when they are stressed. While this group almost always benefit from wellbeing and mental health support apps and initiatives, the apps won’t often be used by those who don’t feel they need support (even if they do) – meaning they won’t reach many of the employees who are more stressed or unhealthy than they realise.
Dr Nicola Eccles, On Wellbeing’s Head of Mental Health and Wellbeing, explains: “Most of today’s wellbeing apps appeal only to the ‘worried well’. These are people who are stressed and anxious but basically coping. On Wellbeing goes beyond that to also connect with the ‘hard to reach’ – those who are most in need of help but who are reluctant to engage with traditional wellbeing approaches and programmes.”
On Wellbeing’s comprehensive toolkit and support system engages and empowers employees to understand their own health and wellbeing challenges, and gives them valuable insights and tools to actively engage in their self-care and manage their overall wellbeing autonomously.
Moreover, it seeks to bridge the gap with employees who are often overlooked or those who may not typically express their concerns, by offering a secure and confidential space where they can assess their needs for support without revealing their identity. In doing so, On Wellbeing aims to remove common obstacles to employee involvement, fostering a proactive and self-reliant mindset towards personal health care.
From ‘intention to action’
It’s a timely launch because, currently, workplace wellbeing isn’t working. While the UK’s corporate wellbeing market is valued at £2.8bn, primary research conducted by On Wellbeing – involving 30 HR directors of 200+ employee businesses – revealed widespread dissatisfaction with current wellbeing programs, mainly due to low user engagement. HR experts cite employee apathy, low user engagement and the difficulty of convincing senior execs of the ROI of these schemes as the main barriers.
There is also some employee cynicism about wellness programmes being a ‘box ticking’ exercise by the business and concerns about anonymity. Crucially, unlike many competitors, employees using On Wellbeing cannot have their activities tracked by employers. Research shows that engagement suffers when employees feel they are being monitored.
Dr Nicola Eccles added: “On Wellbeing will take users from intention to action, when it comes to building their mental resilience. It equips individuals with practical skills, rather than just providing information, to bridge this gap. It will help people to thrive, rather than just survive.”
Underpinned by a unique 3-tier system, it harnesses the latest thinking in behavioural science to drive users from intention to action. And unlike other wellbeing apps, it’s 100% focused on mental health. No breathwork, no yoga tutorials. Because good mental health is the foundation of total wellness.
A brighter future for mental wellbeing
On Wellbeing is set to make a profound impact on corporate wellbeing and individual mental health. With a unique and science-led approach, it provides practical skills and tools to thrive in an ever-changing world. It does this through a unique 3-tier system within the app. While competitors may use some of these approaches, On Wellbeing is the first platform to combine all three.
Key Features
Your Toolbox
Enables a diverse group of users to build a bespoke set of coping/resilience skills through interactive games, activities, podcasts and more. This gamified approach, seen in apps such as Duolingo and Pokemon Sleep, has been shown to have a positive impact on mental health and wellbeing. Throughout On Wellbeing, the user’s point-scoring interactions with the app’s games keep them engaged in activities that help them to improve low mood, increase self-esteem and reduce anxiety.
Your Space
Like a Pinterest board for mental health, this section of the app helps users to reflect and understand themselves, by creating bespoke journals and image galleries, for example, to integrate gratitude and purpose into their daily lives.
Your Community
Unlike other corporate wellbeing apps, On Wellbeing places a strong emphasis on organisational engagement. This space is where companies can integrate information on their specific in-house projects and wellbeing initiatives – as well as those in the wider community – making it a mental health tool with real-world applications. It’s like a company intranet, but one specifically focused on the employer’s mental health initiatives and wellbeing opportunities.
Such is the excitement about the launch of On Wellbeing that several organisations have already signed up as customers. They include UA92, Wye Valley NHS Trust and King Edwards College. The app is also shortlisted for App of the Year at the Prolific North Tech Awards 2023
Dominic Bennett, CEO of On Wellbeing, said, “We’re setting the gold standard for corporate wellbeing platforms – a science-led, skills-based app that’s tailored to individual users and that employs behavioural science techniques to build mental resilience. There’s nothing quite like it on the market.”
Kate Wood, Work Health Hub and Mental Health and Productivity Pilot Manager at the University of Derby, said, “The University of Derby are thrilled to be part of the pilot for On Wellbeing as the app encourages us all to take responsibility for our mental health. My role sees me work closely with businesses, helping them carve out a great culture, engage employees and roll out effective wellbeing initiatives. On Wellbeing will lift us to the next level, encouraging all individuals to take responsibility for their own wellbeing. Because while your employer has a duty of care, we also have a duty to take care of ourselves. And On Wellbeing helps everyone do that.”
For more information about On Wellbeing and how it can benefit your organisation – or to see a demo – visit On Wellbeing’s website.
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