Quality matters: when Codes of Ethics can make a real difference
08 September 2025
What is the ethical issue?
Wellbeing, put simply, is about ‘how we are doing’ as individuals. It includes the physical and mental wellbeing of employees in a workplace, and signifies the importance of ensuring they are happy, healthy and motivated.
In 2015/2016, the official Labour Force Survey reported that the number of working days lost to stress, anxiety and depression reached 11.7 million. According to research by recruitment consultancy Robert Walters, 88% of professionals believe that employers have a responsibility to support and enhance employee wellbeing.
Organisations are also becoming more aware of the need to develop and embed effective employee wellbeing programmes. It is no longer adequate to simply add green plants to the office or offer weekly fruit deliveries.
Without a positive and progressive approach to mental health and wellbeing, organisations run the risk of not moving with the times. With younger generations more attuned to, and open about, mental health in the workplace, an obstructive or unhelpful approach within a company or its senior management could cause recruitment and retainment issues.
IBE Guidance
A summary of good practice
- Organisations need think holistically about employee wellbeing, and develop a wellbeing strategy that goes deeper than superficial initiatives and is informed by the company’s ethical values.
- Focus should be given to creating a culture of openness and support, which encourages employees to discuss concerns with line managers, while also providing opportunities for teamwork and enjoyment, such as sport, which creates a stronger working community.
- A supportive tone from the top, with a formalised position on wellbeing, sends a message to employees that their welfare and happiness matters. Organisations may choose to empower and train line managers to notice signs of faltering wellbeing and initiate early intervention, as well as introducing flexible working arrangements to meet employees needs.
- By establishing a supportive and happy culture, organisations are more likely to secure and retain the best talent. In turn, organisations can be rewarded with employees that want to uphold a culture of integrity which will prove intrinsic to the company’s long-term success.
Further resources
Attitudes of the British Public to Business Ethics 2022
Businesses and UK politicians must do better at demonstrating their ethical credentials if they are to win back the confidence of the British public - the 2022 results of the IBE's annual survey of the attitudes of the British public to business ethics.
29 June 2022
Employees’ voices: a glass half full
The results of our latest Ethics at Work survey bring us some good news, but also some red flags that cannot be ignored as organisations shape their ethical agenda for the future.
08 December 2021
Ethics at Work: 2021 International Survey of Employees
This survey is the only one of its kind, covering 13 countries over four continents, that provides real insight into employees’ views on ethics across all sectors and job roles.
04 November 2021
Attitudes of the British Public to Business Ethics 2020
The 2020 results of the IBE's annual survey of the attitudes of the British public to business ethics.
30 December 2020
Hugh Kay Lecture: Standards in Public Life - Are we in a Post-Nolan age?
View the recording of our webinar.
12 November 2020
Ethics at Work 2018: Germany
This survey report describes the German findings of our 2018 Ethics at Work research and provides comparison with the European average from the eight countries surveyed.
10 December 2019
Ethics at Work 2018: Italy
This survey report describes the Italian findings of our 2018 Ethics at Work research and provides comparison with the European average from the eight countries surveyed.
10 December 2019
Ethics at Work 2018: Singapore
This survey report describes the Singapore findings of our 2018 Ethics at Work research and provides comparison with Switzerland and the UK.
23 September 2019
Why having a supportive ethical culture matters to employee wellbeing
We’ve just celebrated Mental Health Awareness Week and with estimates suggesting that nearly 13% of all sickness absence days in the UK can be attributed to mental health issues, more organisations are becoming aware of the need to support psychological as well as physical safety.
08 July 2019
Ethics at Work 2018: Canada
This survey report describes the Canadian findings of our 2018 Ethics at Work research and provides comparison with Switzerland and the UK.
26 June 2019
Ethics at Work 2018: Switzerland
This survey report describes the Swiss findings of our 2018 Ethics at Work research and provides comparison with the European average.
23 May 2019
Ethics at Work 2018: New Zealand
This survey report describes the New Zealand findings of our 2018 Ethics at Work research.
28 November 2018
Ethics at Work 2018: Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom
This survey report describes the Australia and New Zealand findings of our 2018 Ethics at Work research and compares them with the findings from the UK.
27 November 2018
Ethics at Work 2018: Australia
This survey report describes the Australian findings of our 2018 Ethics at Work research.
27 November 2018