As its name suggests, an organisation’s wellness policy is a set of workplace supports and initiatives designed to boost employee health, happiness and wellbeing.

It’s something that organisations across Ireland offer their workforces through evidence-based programmes focused on education, prevention and self-care, and it’s always a welcome employee benefit in theory.

However, our research shows that theory and practice don’t always match up. The existence of "unwritten rules" in the workplace – where company policy takes a back seat to learned behaviours – can result in employees feeling conflicted around company wellness activities and less inclined to engage with them as a result.

In this article, we’ll explore the impact that unwritten rules can have on employee wellbeing and offer insights that help employees navigate these rules, so they can thrive at work. 

Wellbeing in theory, less well in practice

While many companies have established robust wellness programmes, the true impact of these initiatives depends on an organisation’s everyday behaviours and attitudes. What our research established is that unwritten rules – i.e. an implicit expectation to prioritise work – can often cancel out formal wellness policies.

33% of our surveyed corporate employees who were asked to think of their workplace agreed that while aspects of wellness programmes may be available to them on site (e.g., yoga classes, chillout rooms, gyms etc.), they would appear less committed to their company if they were to actually use any of them during the working day.

This disconnect creates a barrier to employees engaging in workplace wellness initiatives that they would greatly benefit from. 

Leaving early

One of the most prominent unwritten microculture rules relates to the perception of “leaving early”. 45% of our surveyed corporate employees agree that regularly leaving the office before most of your co-workers creates a negative impact within your company, despite how productive your day has been.