I’m often surprised when companies implement wellbeing programmes and interventions just because the same activities have worked for other organisations.

The entertainment industry is pretty good at recognising success, with award ceremonies like the BAFTA’s, BRIT’s, and Oscars providing an opportunity to thank all those who have contributed to the triumphs. But what about us mere mortals, why do we shirk away from showing our appreciation of colleagues and team members? And why instead do we perpetuate organisational cultures rife with criticism, fear and negative emotions that put workforces at greater risk of heart attack?

Recently published statistics from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) indicate that employers are still causing or exacerbating illness in their employees.  One of the biggest causes of this employee ill-health is work-related stress, with 428,000 cases reported in 2011/12.  

No doubt there will be many inspirational stories to come out of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.  But last week I was struck by that of Peter Wilson, who won a gold medal in the men’s double trap (shooting) event.  Wilson’s story shows how developing resilience and interpersonal support can contribute to goal achievement.

Over the years I’ve met many people with demanding workloads who seemed genuinely puzzled that they always fell ill as soon as they took annual leave.  Little did they know that researchers already had an explanation for this: – chronic stress suppresses the immune system, and taking time out causes the repressed symptoms of stress and exhaustion to come to the foreground.   

This week’s news headlines making out that exercise is ineffective in treating depression have not just been disappointing, we’re concerned there’s a danger that at best they’ll neutralise positive health messages and the efforts of the fitness industry, and at worse discourage those people who drag themselves off to the gym in order to tackle the infamous black dog. This might be acceptable if the headlines were accurate, but they’re not. Here we address the problems with the claims.

Last week I listened to Tony Hsieh the CEO of the American on-line retailer, Zappos talking about happiness at work.  Hsieh believes that great companies have a strong culture and a vision with a higher purpose than just the pursuit of profits.  For Zappos that higher purpose was about creating happiness.  By focusing on a happy workplace with happy personnel, he’s convinced that Zappos achieves “by-products” such as productivity, employee retention, a strong customer service, and profits.

In a ‘Spoonful of Sugar', Mary Poppins sang how “In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun, you find the fun and snap! The job’s a game.”  But I wasn’t expecting to be reminded of this when I sat down to watch a programme about a Nobel Prize-winning physicist. Yet as I watched a recent episode of BBC Four’s Beautiful Minds, I learned that having a playful approach to his research helped Professor Andre Geim invent gecko tape (which one day may allow humans to scale ceilings spider-man-style), levitate frogs (to demonstrate diamagnetism), and uncover the properties of the world’s thinnest material, graphene (which could be used to make bendy touch screens).

It’s increasingly fashionable for employers to want their employees to ‘go the extra mile’ (GEM).  Employers assume that GEM will benefit the organisation in terms of increased competitiveness, reduced staffing costs and increased productivity.  Indeed, those heading up the Government’s own Employee Engagement Taskforce may have you believe that GEM is the best thing since the proverbial sliced bread, but what if they are wrong?  What if by relying on GEM employers are putting their business at risk?

In a recent article in Management Today, Mary Perkins (the founder of Specsavers) said that one of the reasons there aren’t more women on boards is because “They don’t want to work till midnight or be made to travel.”