Every year, World Mental Health Day brings mental health back into the spotlight. There might be a LinkedIn post, a reminder about the Employee Assistance Programme, or a wellbeing session for employees.
All of these things have their place. But mental health support shouldn't be a one-day activity.
10th October, World Mental Health Day, can be a useful moment to start the conversation, but the more important question is what happens afterwards. According to NHS estimates, around one in five people in the UK report feeling low during the winter months. Are employees getting support they can actually use when it matters most?
For HR and People teams, it's an opportunity to look beyond what your company says about wellbeing and ask whether employees are actually experiencing it.
It's easy to assume you're doing enough. Most employers do. But the Great Employee Benefits Study 2026 found a 15-point gap between employers who believe they support employee wellbeing and employees who agree.
That doesn't necessarily mean employers aren't investing. It suggests there's a gap between what's being offered and what employees actually experience.
And when you look at what employees want, the message is clear. Mental health counselling is the most wanted wellbeing benefit among UK employees, with 71% saying they would value it. Yet it remains one of the most under-delivered.
The challenge for HR isn't simply having wellbeing benefits on a list. It's making sure the support is relevant, accessible and genuinely useful to the people it's there for.
The need for proactive support is becoming harder to ignore.
The Great Employee Benefits Study 2026 found that one in five European employees say their workload isn't sustainable in the long term. Meanwhile, the 2025 TELUS Mental Health Index found that 28% of UK workers say work stress is already disrupting their sleep.
These aren't signs of a problem that might emerge further down the line. Workplace pressure is already affecting people's wellbeing, and it has a direct impact on retention. The study found a 27-point gap in retention intent between employees with high benefit satisfaction and those with low, 86% expect to stay with their employer in two years, compared to just 59% of those who are dissatisfied.
That makes prevention increasingly important. Rather than waiting until employees reach a point where they need urgent support, employers can make wellbeing part of the everyday employee experience.
World Mental Health Day falls at a point in the year when the days are already getting shorter, with the clocks going back on the last Sunday of October.
For some people, darker evenings and the transition into winter can make an already difficult period feel harder. It's another reason why a single awareness day shouldn't be the end of the conversation.
Instead, 10th October can be a useful prompt to ask: What does our mental health support look like on 11th October, and throughout the winter?
Because meaningful support isn't about saying the right thing on the right day. It's about making sure employees know where to turn, can access the support they need, and feel that their wellbeing is genuinely taken seriously.
For HR teams, moving towards more proactive wellbeing doesn't necessarily mean adding more initiatives.
It can start with understanding what employees actually want and making the right support easier to access. This year's World Mental Health Day theme is "Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change", and for employers, that's a direct challenge. Are you listening to what your employees are actually telling you about their wellbeing, and does your benefits offering reflect it?
The link between physical activity and mental health is well established. Movement reduces stress, improves sleep and builds resilience, exactly the things the data tells us UK employees are struggling with. Yet despite 75% of UK employees saying fitness benefits are important when choosing an employer, only 41% actually have access to one. That's a significant perception gap, and a direct opportunity for employers to act.
The Great Employee Benefits Study 2026 is worth looking at closely here, it found that physical activity is one of the most effective burnout prevention tools, with flexible gym access and wellness programmes among the most valued benefits employees say help them maintain a healthy work-life balance. Closing the fitness access gap isn’t just a physical health decision. For many employees, it’s a mental health one too.
The study also found that 67% of UK employees would feel more committed to their employer if their organisation prioritised their wellbeing over a pay rise.
That's a strong signal that wellbeing isn't just an annual campaign or another item on a company policy page. Done well, it can be part of how organisations support, engage and retain their people.
Epassi UK has the UK’s largest health and fitness network, helping employees make healthier choices in ways that work for them. With access to a choice of 4,900+ fitness facilities across the UK and Ireland, your people can save on memberships at gyms, health clubs, leisure centres, studios, bootcamps and more.
No matter their location, activity preference or budget, there’s something for everyone. It’s a simple way to support healthier, happier employees while building a more engaged and productive workforce.
If you're looking at how to make your wellbeing benefits more relevant, accessible and meaningful for your employees, book a call with our team to find out how giving employees the benefits they actually want to use can work harder for your business.
Haven't read the full report yet? Download the Great Employee Benefits Study 2026 to explore the UK data and practical steps to help your benefits work harder.