How Leading Companies Are Transforming Employee Wellbeing in 2025

It’s been five years since the Covid-19 pandemic put a spotlight on personal and professional wellbeing as a business priority.

Much has changed in the workplace since then, not least the widespread and ongoing introduction of AI tools, organizations dropping DEI policies, and the power struggle between RTO mandates and employees that have grown accustomed to flexible working models.

Outside the workplace, global tensions have gathered pace throughout 2025  and this will no doubt also be having a significant impact on employees’ day-to-day lives and overall wellbeing.

HR leaders are therefore expected to place a greater emphasis on employee wellbeing as a strategic objective this year – finally moving the needle to better support and results across the five components of wellbeing: mental, physical, financial, social and environmental health.

But what’s the real state of play among HR leaders? Is this finally a new chapter for employees or has wellbeing once again fallen down the order of strategic priorities?

UNLEASH spoke to a trio of HR leaders at KPMG, Virgin Media O2, and Canva to find out what new strategies, tools and support they are bringing to the table this year to help employees and how this fits into their organization’s strategic objectives for 2025.

‘Our success relies on our people being able to thrive and perform at their best’

For consultancy KPMG, employee wellbeing is a core tenant of its Global People Strategy, according to Nhlamu Dlomu, Global Head of People at KPMG International.

“KPMG is a people business. We know that our success relies on our people being able to thrive and perform at their best,” Dlomu tells UNLEASH.

“Not only is it the right thing to do, but we see supporting our people’s wellbeing as a business imperative that leads to improved productivity and better business outcomes.”

KPMG operates businesses in 143 nations with a 275,288-person workforce, meaning various regional and cultural differences will impact on employee wellbeing in different ways.

“This year, we plan to introduce a set of baseline approaches that we recommend all KPMG Firms to have in place, ensuring that our people, regardless of which country or office they are working out of, can feel confident that their well-being is a priority,” Dlomu explains.

While Dlomu states the KPMG network of firms have wellbeing plans in place, alongside “strong leadership support, regular communication and engagement activities, and working environments that support healthy habits,” plans are in place to supplement this foundation in 2025.

Firstly, it will create a global network for its HR professionals with responsibility for employee wellbeing to to share best practices, learn from one another and help KPMG identify where it needs to focus its efforts.

It will also be releasing a suite of wellbeing implementation guides, developed in partnership with not-for-profit membership organization MindForward Alliance.

“These guides cover topics such as how to support colleagues across different life stages, creating a mental health champion network, and using data to inform your wellbeing strategy, to name a few. They will provide easy-to-use practical guidance,” Dlomu says.

Dlomu adds that while a “stigma around mental health disorders continues to hinder progress”, KPMG will also be upping its efforts to recognize World Mental Health Day (October 10) by “co-creating a global campaign with our people to shine a light on this important topic”.