Bupa is an international healthcare company serving over 50 million customers worldwide and providing a range of services, including health insurance, clinics, dental centres, hospitals, aged care and digital health solutions.

Bupa’s workplace mental wellbeing strategy is designed to be flexible and adaptable to different contexts and needs across the business’ global operations. A central team owns the global strategic framework and provides guidance, resources and shares best practice. Wellbeing leads around the world have responsibility to deliver the strategy in their markets, adapted to regional and local needs, preferences and culture.

For instance, the central team develops the global objectives and high-level messaging, and supplies materials for campaigns around any specific initiatives or awareness days such as World Mental Health Day. Local teams can then adapt the materials and use what is relevant and appropriate in their culture and setting. The Be You at Bupa networks and advocacy groups, which aim to create an inclusive and diverse culture where everyone can be themselves, are similarly flexible and work in collaboration with the local health and wellbeing teams. They address inclusion priorities across different businesses and locations. For instance, in Australia, the networks and advocacy groups prioritise fostering positive mental health experiences within the Bupa community, promoting gender equality, LGBTQ+ inclusion, accessibility, and advocating for First Nations representation and inclusion.

Wellbeing leads across Bupa’s market and business units regularly come together in strategic and programme steering groups to collaborate, share experiences and learn from their global colleagues. And the relationship between central and local teams has evolved over time, informed by learnings from the successes and challenges in implementing the mental wellbeing strategy.

An area of increasing global consensus is around a focus on root cause issues that negatively impact colleagues’ mental wellbeing. Here, Bupa’s global teams have shared insights and developed a consistent global conversation around the needs of their people. For instance, a clear recognition has developed around the global importance on psychosocial risk awareness and training. This has led to the adoption of wider training on the topic, adapted according to local markets’ nuances.

Bupa’s advice to any international business establishing a workplace mental health strategy is to listen to colleagues around the world to understand the nuance of their environment, but also the shared root causes of poor mental health. Ensure they have the autonomy and flexibility to adapt centrally set plans so they land positively and have maximum impact.