Meg Dunphy
HR Policy & Engagement Manager, CIPD Ireland
With employee wellbeing firmly on the agenda for 2025, organisations are strengthening mental health support and embracing online wellbeing tools while addressing the challenges of workload pressures and burnout.
According to the CIPD Ireland HR Practices in Ireland 2025 survey, over a third (36%) of organisations have found employee wellbeing more challenging in the past year. Encouragingly, 51% report that wellbeing is gaining attention at senior leadership levels.
Strengthening mental health support
Mental health issues are a leading cause of absenteeism in 25% of organisations, prompting 54% to increase investment in mental health support and address long-hours cultures. Key contributors to poor mental health include workload, job design and job changes, with burnout a concern for 29% of organisations.
Over half of respondents cited inadequate management support while 24% highlighted the negative impact of an ‘always on’ culture, where technology blurs boundaries between work and personal life.
Turning to tech: from always-on to always-supported
Although technology contributes to the ‘always on’ culture, it also provides solutions. Digital transformation has led to a rise in online wellbeing initiatives, now offered by 56% of organisations. These tools, such as mental health apps and virtual wellbeing programmes, provide flexible, convenient access to support. With 51% of employers actively embracing digital resources, it’s clear that online solutions are becoming central to workplace wellbeing, particularly in remote and hybrid settings.
For wellbeing to have a lasting
impact, it must be championed
at the top — not just as policy.
Flexible working as a key success factor
Flexible working is another key driver of wellbeing. A strong majority (78%) report that remote and flexible arrangements improve wellbeing, also supporting productivity, recruitment and retention. This reflects a broader shift toward human-centred work environments that help employees balance personal and professional demands.
Embedding wellbeing into workplace culture
However, while wellbeing is on more leadership agendas than before, this year’s figure (51%) is slightly lower than in previous years. Just 21% of respondents say senior leaders are increasingly role modelling wellbeing behaviours, while 20% report a decline. This signals an urgent need to embed wellbeing more deeply into organisational culture.
For wellbeing to have a lasting impact, it must be championed at the top — not just as policy, but through consistent leadership behaviours and strategic integration.
