The blind spot in wellbeing

Vlerick Business School and KBC Insurance are joining forces and researching how organisations can approach wellbeing more broadly and in a more integrated way, and what role employers play in this. At Vlerick, Prof. Dr. Katleen De Stobbeleir and senior researcher Elke Van de Wiele lead the project. At KBC Insurance, Inge Hermans, Head of Solutions Support, is involved. In the #ZigZagHR podcast, Katleen De Stobbeleir and Inge Hermans discussed the building blocks of a strong wellbeing policy.

#1 – Physical and mental wellbeing only tell part of the story
Many organisations look at wellbeing through a physical or mental lens. Both pillars matter, but they do not cover everything. An employee can be physically healthy and still feel out of sorts. Someone can experience little stress and at the same time feel disconnected from colleagues, or doubt their professional future.

That is why KBC approaches wellbeing using five pillars: physical, mental, social, professional and financial wellbeing. Wellbeing arises from the interplay between these pillars. Financial worries weigh on mental wellbeing. A lack of connection with colleagues often undermines professional wellbeing as well. Approaching wellbeing this way makes it easier to see how separate initiatives can come together in an integrated wellbeing policy.

#2 – Back to the essence of wellbeing

Wellbeing has become a booming business. New apps, programmes and trends follow each other quickly, and many organisations chase the latest trend. Meanwhile, the essentials get overlooked. Getting the basics right is not sexy, yet those basics determine whether people feel well at work. The five pillars help organisations check them: do we cover physical, mental, social, professional and financial wellbeing? Organisations that dare to refocus on these fundamentals build a policy that outlasts the next trend.

#3 – Wellbeing starts in the organisation
According to Katleen De Stobbeleir, many organisations make two fundamental mistakes. They treat wellbeing as an HR issue, and they place the responsibility with the individual employee. Wellbeing arises at least as much in the organisation and its culture.

These errors have consequences. Organisations aim their interventions at the resilience of individual employees, while the context in which those employees work largely stays the same. Burn-out rarely results from too much work alone. Leadership, team dynamics and the way work is organised also play a role.

#4 – A narrow view of wellbeing makes organisations reactive
Many organisations invest in wellbeing, but through a collection of stand-alone actions. According to Katleen De Stobbeleir, this is where an important blind spot lies. Organisations that define wellbeing too narrowly often act once employees are already struggling. The real levers lie in the work context, in teams, in leadership and in how work is organised.

That is why two pillars deserve more attention. Professional wellbeing concerns the sense that you are growing, contributing and doing meaningful work. Social wellbeing concerns belonging, building relationships and being able to count on support. Both arise in and through the work itself.

#5 – AI affects meaning and connection
The rapid rise of artificial intelligence makes this integrated approach even more important. The debate on AI focuses mainly on efficiency, productivity and job losses. Its impact on people receives far less attention. According to research, AI also changes how meaningful and connected people feel at work.

When technology replaces human interaction, social wellbeing comes under pressure (Crawford et al., 2024). People who work intensively with AI sometimes find less meaning in their job (Bankins & Formosa, 2023). They feel like a conduit for information, without their own input, creativity or responsibility.

#6 – Introducing AI is a choice about what work looks like
Organisations therefore do not need to slow down AI. They can, however, treat its introduction as a choice about job design, alongside a question of efficiency. Organisations that use AI to take over routine tasks create space for the human core of a job: judgement, creativity and connection with colleagues and customers. In this way, AI can actually strengthen the sense of meaning.

Clear communication, engaged leadership, training and dialogue within teams play a crucial role here. For a caring employer, the AI question therefore starts with: what work do we still want people to do? The question of how to bring employees along comes next.

#7 – Financial wellbeing remains the most underestimated pillar
Financial worries affect stress, wellbeing and even long-term absence. Yet money remains a difficult topic for many people to discuss. Financial peace of mind also goes beyond salary. It means knowing what happens if you fall ill, understanding what protection your employer provides, having insight into your pension and feeling confident about the future.

Employers already do a lot. A survey by Vlerick and KBC Insurance shows that 80% of employers offer hospitalisation insurance and 72% a supplementary pension. Yet more than one in three employees (37%) say they receive no clear information about their total remuneration package, meaning the offer does not always reach employees. Employers make the difference by communicating transparently and strengthening their employees’ financial literacy. Uncertainty often weighs more heavily than the actual situation.

#8 – Wellbeing is a shared responsibility
An integrated wellbeing policy only succeeds when everyone plays their part:

• Employees take responsibility for their own wellbeing.
• Teams create a safe and supportive environment.
• Managers make wellbeing open to discussion and lead by example.
• The organisation provides the culture, structures and initiatives that make this possible.

The interplay between these levels determines whether wellbeing becomes firmly embedded.

Finally: where do you start?

The first step does not have to be complex: start checking whether the essentials are in place and listen to people within your organisation. Talk to employees and managers. Map out which initiatives already exist, and above all where the blind spots and needs lie. Is the focus mainly on physical and mental wellbeing? Then include social, professional and financial wellbeing explicitly as well.

Ultimately, wellbeing comes down to whether people feel connected, can grow, experience financial peace of mind and find meaning in their work. Organisations that succeed in this build healthier employees, stronger engagement and sustainable performance.

Watch or listen to the full podcast: [YouTube] / [Spotify]. Also read the article by KBC Insurance.

References:
Bankins, S., & Formosa, P. (2023). The ethical implications of artificial intelligence (AI) for meaningful work. Journal of Business Ethics, 185(4), 725–740.
Crawford, J., Allen, K. A., Pani, B., & Cowling, M. (2024). When artificial intelligence substitutes humans in higher education: The cost of loneliness, student success, and retention. Studies in Higher Education, 49(5), 883–897.