It’s Mental Health Awareness Week, and this year there is a theme that’s hard to argue with: action.
Not more pledges. Not another awareness campaign that gets a good LinkedIn reaction and then quietly disappears. Actual, tangible steps that make a real difference to how people feel at work, every day.
And if you’re an employer wondering whether you’re doing enough — our latest research has an answer that might be a little uncomfortable.
The investment is there. The impact, for too many employees, is not.
Here’s the headline stat: 77% of HR leaders say their business has increased investment in health and wellbeing benefits. That’s significant. That’s real money, real effort, real intention.
And yet — just 24% of employees feel their wellbeing is taken seriously where they work. Only 23% think their employer genuinely cares about their wellbeing at all.
That’s not a budget problem. That’s a benefits problem. Specifically, it’s a problem with what’s being offered, and whether it’s actually reaching people in a way that means something to them.
This Mental Health Awareness Week, that gap is the thing worth acting on.
Six in ten HR leaders (58%) say that stress levels among their employees are the highest they have ever seen. Nearly half of all employees (47%) say they are quietly cracking at work — still showing up, still getting through the to-do list, but running on empty. Among Gen Z workers just starting out in their careers, that figure rises to 55%.
This isn’t a niche problem affecting a handful of people in particularly high-pressure roles. It’s a widespread, slow-burning crisis that’s playing out in meeting rooms and Slack channels and home offices across the country.
And the organisations that will make the most difference this week — and every week after it — are the ones that respond with something practical. Not a poster. Not a webinar. Benefits that actively build resilience, every single day, for every single person.
The link between physical activity and mental health is one of the most well-evidenced relationships in all of health research. Regular exercise reduces anxiety, improves sleep quality, lifts mood, and builds the kind of resilience that helps people handle pressure without cracking under it. It’s not a soft benefit. It’s one of the most powerful mental health interventions available to any employer.
And here’s one of the most striking findings from our research: 55% of employees say they would be more likely to go to the gym if their employer offered a discounted membership or passes to classes.
More than half. Already motivated. Just waiting for the barrier — usually cost — to come down.
That’s why discounted gym access sits at the heart of what Epassi UK does. Our GymFlex and MyGymDiscounts schemes give employees access to the UK’s largest fitness network at reduced cost — through salary deduction or self-pay — making it genuinely easy to build the habits that support good mental health. When exercise is affordable and accessible, people actually do it. And when people exercise regularly, it shows up in how they show up at work.
Our research also found that 64% of employees would like their workplace to introduce free health assessments — rising to 70% among Gen Z workers. And it’s easy to understand why.
Uncertainty about health is a quiet but significant source of anxiety. Not knowing whether your blood pressure is too high, or whether a symptom you’ve been ignoring is worth paying attention to, sits in the background of everyday life and takes up mental space that could be used elsewhere. A health assessment doesn’t just catch things early — it gives people the knowledge and agency to take care of themselves, which is both practically and psychologically valuable.
It’s also a signal. Employers who invest in their people’s health — proactively, before crisis hits — send a message that goes far beyond the assessment itself. It says: we care about you as a person, not just as a headcount.
Epassi’s HealthiFlex and MyHealthDiscounts schemes give employees access to the UK’s largest network of discounted health assessments — from basic checks to comprehensive screenings — at a price that removes the barrier entirely. Low admin for employers, high value for employees.
Getting people moving. Helping them understand their health. Easing the financial pressure. These aren’t grand gestures. They’re practical, evidence-backed steps that compound over time into a workforce that is genuinely healthier, more resilient, and more engaged.
That’s what Epassi is here to help with. And if you’d like to talk about where to start, we’re ready when you are.
Book a call with our team, try our ROI calculator, or explore what we offer. Real action starts with a first step.
Stats taken from the Epassi x Zest Employee Benefits Report, November 2025, based on a survey of 500 HR leaders and 2,000 UK employees conducted by Opinium.
Epassi UK creates fitter, happier and more productive workforces through discounted gym memberships, health assessments and lifestyle benefit schemes. Trusted by over 2,000 companies across the UK. Find out more at epassi.co.uk.