Rethinking workplace wellness: how psychological safety can strengthen culture and support your people

While health and wellness at work are high on the agenda for UK organisations, psychological safety remains a frequently overlooked aspect. When employees feel safe to speak up, admit mistakes, and share ideas without fear of judgement, it lays the foundation for a positive work culture - one that supports both performance and wellbeing.

Yet, despite growing awareness, many workplaces still fall short. A recent study by Dräger Safety UK¹ found that while 96% of employees feel physically safe at work, 65% believe that poor psychological safety at work is increasing physical safety risks. This highlights the need for HR leaders to go beyond surface-level employee wellbeing programmes and address the deeper emotional and psychological dynamics that shape workplace culture.

Psychological safety: the foundation of workplace wellbeing

Psychological safety at work is about creating an environment where people feel secure enough to take interpersonal risks. In such environments, employees are more likely to contribute ideas, report issues, and collaborate effectively. This is essential for improving workplace culture, reducing turnover, and enhancing mental wellbeing in the workplace.

For HR professionals, fostering psychological safety means embedding it into leadership development, team dynamics, and communication practices. It also means recognising that wellness in the workplace is not just about physical health or perks; it’s about how people feel, think, and relate to one another at work.

The role of psychologically informed environments (PIEs)

To deepen our understanding of psychological safety and make it part of everyday practice, HR leaders can look to Psychologically Informed Environments (PIEs). Originally developed in the homelessness² and social care sectors, PIEs are environments designed to support psychological and emotional wellbeing through reflective practice, trauma-informed leadership, and emotionally intelligent systems.

These principles are highly transferable to corporate settings and can significantly enhance workplace employee wellness and mental wellbeing at workplace. PIEs help HR teams move from reactive wellbeing initiatives to proactive, psychologically attuned strategies that support staff health and wellbeing.

Changing the culture of a workplace through PIEs

PIEs offer a practical framework for changing the culture of a workplace. When integrated into employee wellness programmes that work, they create a more compassionate, resilient, and high-performing workforce. This approach supports building culture in the workplace that is inclusive, emotionally intelligent, and aligned with modern expectations of work.

Practical applications in industrial settings

Even in high-risk environments like factories and construction sites, PIEs and psychological safety can make a real difference. Reflective check-ins during team briefings, trauma-informed supervision, and open reporting of near-misses help normalise communication and build trust. Practices like buddy systems, emotionally intelligent leadership, and regular reflection sessions support team cohesion and reduce mental health stigma.

These small, intentional changes create workplaces where people feel safe to speak up, enhancing both wellbeing and operational safety. By embedding PIE principles into daily routines, HR teams can help psychological safety take root naturally across all levels of the organisation.

A strategic opportunity for HR leaders

The integration of psychological safety and PIEs represents a powerful opportunity to elevate workplace wellbeing programmes and drive meaningful cultural change. By focusing on wellness for employees through the lens of psychological insight, organisations can move beyond generic initiatives and begin supporting the whole person - emotionally, mentally, and socially.

This holistic approach to mental wellbeing in the workplace aligns with a growing recognition that effective employee wellness programmes must consider the full spectrum of human experience, not just physical health or productivity metrics. It’s about creating environments where people feel safe, understood, and empowered to thrive.

Solutions like BHSF’s Health & Wellbeing Plan are designed with this broader perspective in mind - offering practical support that helps employees manage life’s challenges both in and out of work. When paired with a culture of supportive leadership style and psychological safety at work, these kinds of programmes can be transformative.

By embedding these principles into daily practice, HR teams can help shape a more resilient, compassionate, and high-performing workplace; one where wellbeing is not just a policy, but a lived experience.

Sources

1. https://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/content/news/how-should-hr-respond-to-fears-that-poor-psychological-safety-is-increasing-physical-risks 
2. https://stbasils.org.uk/about-us/st-basils-pie/
3. https://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/content/features/the-importance-of-psychological-safety/