January and February will be very much taken up with feedback meetings to those member organisations that completed the 2026 MindForward Alliance Thriving At Work Assessment.

For the last eight years, the Assessment has proven to be a valuable tool for any organisation serious about workplace wellbeing, and it’s a pleasure to work with organisations including A&O Shearman, PwC, Linklaters and HSBC on these reports.

So why are our members so engaged in this annual deep dive?

• Strengthens organisational performance and resilience by identifying the cultural, operational and leadership factors that directly influence productivity, retention, risk and long-term results.
• Pinpoints where action is needed by turning insights into clear, prioritised and practical recommendations that align with organisational maturity and ambition, while recognising real business constraints.
• Provides evidence-based validation through ten assessment standards within our Thriving At Work Framework, independently reviewed by the University of Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre—giving leaders, investors, clients and regulators confidence in its credibility.
• Supports organisations’ Wellbeing Champion Networks by providing comprehensive guidance on what works and how to get the most out of this investment in people

Key trends

Every individual report and recommendation is personalised and confidential, but the aggregate scores of our participating organisations point to some key trends, including some areas that the majority of businesses need to focus in on, including:

Standard 4 – Ecosystem: Organisations need to strengthen engagement with external stakeholders—including peers and competitors, partners, suppliers, customers and clients—to influence mentally healthy business practices across the wider ecosystem. This includes greater collaboration in programmes and initiatives that support positive mental health, either globally or at a local, country or regional level.

Standard 7 – Working conditions: Many businesses are underperforming in providing healthy working conditions. This includes job design, role demands, flexibility, work–life balance, workplace relationships and the physical environment. Organisations must ensure that work environments support healthy lifestyle behaviours and take active steps to assess and reduce psychosocial hazards that may harm mental health.

Standard 9 – Proactive health promotion: There is also a need for stronger focus on prevention. This standard calls on businesses to encourage, educate and enable self-care through healthy behaviours that help people manage stress and maintain positive mental health. It also includes providing access to wellbeing resources, activities and programmes, and ensuring physical and social environments support overall health.

Underpinning all of the work our members commit to in their wellbeing strategy is Standard 2 (Senior Leadership) and Standard 5 (People Managers). People make the difference and our members recognise that time and investment in these two critical cohorts is an imperative. Indeed, we are seeing many member firms engage with us on programmes that start at the top with senior leaders and extend out to their people managers.

For me, the beauty of the assessment is its simplicity.  It makes shows   businesses how and where they need to   take informed action. Our job is to guide and support our members and help prioritise what can sometimes be a daunting ‘shopping list’  Not knowing where and how to start can often be a barrier to action. 

We are taking all the key trends we are finding on board, both in the reports, and in the conversations, and will be creating resources and hosting events to help businesses to achieve their desired outcomes. We know that psychological safety and employee mental wellbeing are essential for high performance. The Thriving at Work Assessment provides the roadmap organisations need to move forward with confidence.

To learn more about how to use insights to inform action, please do join us at our next free event. Click here for information and registration