Shaping the Future of Workplace Wellbeing: Insights from the UN General Assembly Panel on Brain Health

At the recent United Nations General Science Assembly, leaders across a variety of industries gathered to discuss the critical role of mental health and wellbeing. A panel discussing this topic as it relates to the workplace highlighted how organisations can navigate the complex relationship between mental, social, and cognitive health to foster a thriving workforce. 

Among the insights shared was the growing recognition that investing in holistic wellbeing is not only ethical but also a strategic imperative for achieving long-term success for both employees and organisations. The discussion also touched on leadership’s role in reducing stigma, the importance of relationships in the workplace, and how innovative approaches can drive meaningful change.

Click here to directly watch on YouTube with access to the official transcript.

Insights and Takeaways from the Panel Discussion

1 | Brain Health as an Organisational Asset

Panellists emphasised the critical role of brain health in boosting workforce productivity and engagement. Discussions shed light on the need for companies to prioritise initiatives that not only prevent mental health challenges but also proactively enhance cognitive function and resilience. 

2 | Reducing Stigma to Foster Openness

A significant barrier to workplace wellbeing, stigma, was a common thread across the discussions. While many employees trust their managers to support mental health needs, reluctance to speak openly remains a challenge. Tackling stigma through leadership modelling and normalising mental health conversations is seen as key to progress.

3 | Holistic Approaches to Employee Care

The discussion underscored the importance of addressing wellbeing comprehensively integrating physical, mental, social, and financial health into workplace strategies. This holistic approach has been shown to improve engagement, workplace satisfaction, and organisational performance. 

 4 | The Role of Leadership and Culture

Leadership emerged as a cornerstone of impactful wellbeing strategies. Panellists stressed that leaders must actively support wellbeing initiatives, model healthy behaviours, and drive a culture of inclusion and care. Leadership commitment is essential for fostering long-term change. 

How Welliba Supports Organisations in Workplace Wellbeing 

At Welliba, one of the areas in which we help organisations, is implementing data-driven strategies to enhance employee health and wellbeing. By leveraging cutting-edge solutions like EX+ and EXcelerate, we empower HR leaders to create meaningful change. 

As discussed by panellist Krystal Sexton from Shell, organisations can achieve results by combining individual-focused programs with cultural and organisational interventions. Krystal highlighted that Shell’s holistic wellbeing programs have driven engagement and productivity while fostering an inclusive workplace culture. As a proud partner, Welliba has been supporting Shell in driving impactful outcomes for both people and the business. 

Welliba offers tailored tools to support these efforts, including: 

• Comprehensive measurement frameworks:
  Helping organisations assess employee experience and wellbeing, and identify actionable insights. 

• Scalable solutions:
  Enabling businesses of all sizes to implement effective, impactful programs. 

•  Privacy-by-design technology:
  Ensuring data security and trust while empowering decision-making. 

Welliba empowers organisations to prioritise holistic wellbeing as a strategic business imperative.  We help organisations drive measurable outcomes for both their people and their business.