Employee wellbeing is no longer a “nice to have” for Australian workplaces. It has become one of the strongest predictors of retention, productivity, and long-term organisational performance.
‘Great Place to Work’ has just released its latest wellbeing report, highlighting how supportive workplaces see higher engagement, stronger resilience, and more committed teams. The report shows that when employers invest in mental and emotional support, financial stability, personal support, and meaningful connection, employees feel more energised, engaged, and confident – and this directly lifts business outcomes.
But wellbeing doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Across Australia, persistent skill shortages are increasing pressure on existing teams. Industries such as healthcare, construction, engineering, education, automotive, and hospitality continue to struggle to attract enough qualified people. As vacancies remain unfilled for longer, workloads rise, stress increases, and burnout becomes more common. This makes employee wellbeing both a serious challenge and a major opportunity for employers.
The new landscape of employee wellbeing
The newly released Great Place To Work report outlines five interconnected drivers of employee wellbeing:
- mental and emotional support
- sense of purpose
- personal support
- financial health
- meaningful connections
When employers support all five, people feel valued, trusted, and motivated – and workplaces become more resilient and productive. The report brings together practical examples from Australian organisations that demonstrate what effective wellbeing looks like in practice.
What leading employers are doing
The organisations highlighted in the report show that wellbeing works best when it is built into everyday culture. Examples include:
- McNab Construction, which incorporates “Tools Down for Safety Days” and trains leaders to recognise stress early.
- Hub Australia, which offers quiet zones, wellbeing rooms, and restorative and connection-focused events.
- Adobe Australia, which supports employees through extended parental leave and structured wellbeing initiatives.
- Visagio, which provides gender-neutral leave, flexible options, and personalised mentoring during major life events.
- carsales.com.au, which invests in financial wellbeing through income protection, share plans, and transparent pay practices.
These real-world examples show that wellbeing does not require extravagant programmes – just purpose, consistency, and leadership commitment.
Why skill shortages are amplifying wellbeing pressures
Australia’s workforce remains under pressure, with multiple indicators pointing to a sustained tight labour market:
- Hard-to-fill vacancies remain well above pre-pandemic levels.
- Skilled roles in engineering, health, education, and construction often take months to recruit.
- Many employers report elevated workloads and rising burnout across teams.
When employees continually cover skill gaps, wellbeing declines. Stress, disengagement, and turnover increase – creating an expensive cycle that is difficult to break once it starts.
Employers who are navigating shortages most effectively are the ones investing in the wellbeing of the people they already have and looking to recruit key skills from overseas that are not readily available on the ground.
Wellbeing as a retention and performance strategy
The report also highlights expert insights showing that wellbeing has shifted from being a standalone initiative to a strategic business priority. Employers increasingly recognise that the cost of poor wellbeing – turnover, burnout, reduced productivity, and recruitment delays – far outweighs the investment required to support people properly.
In a competitive labour market, workplaces with strong wellbeing foundations have a clear advantage. Employees who feel supported are more loyal, more engaged, and more likely to stay, even when external demand for their skills is high.
For employers with migrant staff, staying connected with visa holders is an essential part of a supportive workplace. Regular guidance on policy updates, extension options, and residency pathways reduces anxiety, strengthens trust, and helps employees feel more secure. This is a significant part of the support our team provides, helping employers maintain stability and wellbeing across their workforce.
Practical steps Australian employers can take now
Drawing on the approaches profiled in the report, employers can implement simple, effective wellbeing measures immediately:
- Normalise wellbeing conversations with training and regular check-ins.
- Introduce stress-prevention practices, such as pause days or quiet spaces.
- Strengthen financial fairness, with transparent pay processes and access to financial guidance.
- Support life events through flexible work, parental leave, and thoughtful transitions.
- Build genuine connection, encouraging collaboration, peer support, and team-wide belonging.
- Provide clarity and stability for migrant staff, ensuring they receive up-to-date guidance on policy changes, extensions, and residency options. Clear information reduces uncertainty and supports overall wellbeing.
- Prioritise ethical recruitment, choosing providers who operate with a fully transparent process from sourcing to settlement. Ethical practice protects both employers and visa holders, reducing risk, improving trust, and supporting long-term wellbeing. It is a standard we have championed for more than 25 years.
These actions don’t require complex programmes – just thoughtful, consistent support.
The opportunity for Australian organisations
Skill shortages are not going away, and many industries will continue to feel pressure well into the coming years. The employers who act now to build supportive, ethical, human-centred workplaces will be the ones who retain their best people, attract new talent, and strengthen their reputation for the long term.
Source – Great Place to Work
