Sanaway’s Graham Key: “April heralds the one year anniversary of the launch of Sanaway ONE, the UK’s first ever inclusive washroom hygiene service designed to support wellbeing in the workplace by normalising the presence and use of a universal hygiene unit that can be used by everyone who needs them, regardless of whether they use male, female, unisex or accessible washroom facilities.
“To help mark the anniversary, we asked Clare Martin, owner of Goldcrest Training and founder of the Wellbeing Ambassador Programme™ to share her ethos on why it’s important to support wellbeing in the workplace.
“We’re proud that our ONE service helps businesses support wellbeing in the workplace, and so we hope you’ll find this an informative read as Clare explains how equipping business leaders with evidence-based tools can help create a thriving workplace that supports physical, emotional, and psychological wellbeing.”
Beyond Legal Minimums: Why Proactive Wellbeing Provisions Matter
By Clare Martin, owner of Goldcrest Training and founder of the Wellbeing Ambassador Programme™
When supporting people at work, conversations often centre on compliance: what are we legally required to provide? But forward-thinking organisations are asking a different question: what do our people actually need to thrive? This shift from compliance to proactive care represents a fundamental change in how businesses approach wellbeing, with profound implications for both physical dignity and psychological health.
The Physical Foundation of Wellbeing
At Goldcrest Training, we define wellbeing through our PEP model: a physical, emotional, and psychological experience characterised by feeling good and being satisfied with life. These three dimensions are inseparable. You simply cannot support emotional and psychological wellbeing if basic physical needs aren’t being met.
This is why we’re so impressed by Sanaway’s ONE initiative.1 By providing universal hygiene disposal units in all washroom environments (not just where legally mandated) they’re addressing a genuine physical necessity. This isn’t just compassionate; it’s recognising a widespread physical reality that impacts workplace wellbeing.
Creating a systemic approach to wellbeing requires organisations to address the full spectrum of human needs. From providing the facilities to meet physiological needs through to support, guidance and opportunity to improve physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing. The challenge? Leaders themselves need support first. Truly thriving workplaces require an approach that equips leaders with the tools to support their people across all aspects of wellbeing.
The Reality: Leaders Are Struggling Too
UK sickness absence data highlights the challenges that many organisations face. An estimated 148.9 million working days were lost to sickness or injury in 2024, averaging 4.4 days per worker.2 Mental health remains the leading cause of long-term absence, with 41% of organisations reporting it as their top concern.3
But here’s what often goes unsaid: managers and leaders can influence this data. UKG’s 2023 research found that managers have just as much impact on people’s mental health as their partners, and more impact than doctors or therapists.4 Yet whilst 70% of line managers take primary responsibility for managing employee absence,3 only 29% receive mental health training.3
The CIPD’s research reveals a critical gap: a lack of line manager skills and confidence is the top challenge for employee wellbeing, and ‘management style’ remains among the leading causes of stress-related absence.5 We’re asking leaders to support others whilst providing them with neither the tools nor the wellbeing foundation they need themselves.
You Cannot Give What You Don’t Have
A leader managing excessive workloads, lacking confidence in wellbeing conversations, or experiencing their own stress cannot effectively support their team’s wellbeing. The psychological burden creates a foundation of stress that undermines both personal performance and the ability to lead others through challenges.
This is where trained Wellbeing Ambassadors become essential. When we train leaders through the Wellbeing Ambassador Programme™, we start with their own wellbeing first. The initial focus on personal wellbeing allows leaders to assess their own state of thriving, recognising symptoms of surviving, and build their own resilience through evidence-based tools.
Only once leaders have developed their own wellbeing foundation do we move to strengths-based leading and positive psychology tools to support others. Providing specific leadership development around wellbeing enables organisations to create a top-down approach to wellbeing. Our research shows that 88% of programme participants report improved personal wellbeing, which means they are not only personally benefiting but also able to role model proactive wellbeing.
Legal Minimums Versus Moral Responsibility
UK employers are legally required to assess and manage workplace stress under HSE regulations. But legal compliance highlights a bare minimum rather than what is needed to create a culture where people feel seen, supported and enabled to thrive.
The distinction matters because workplace cultures built solely on compliance tend to be reactive. Cultures built on genuine care tend to be proactive and listen to what people need. Just as Sanaway’s ONE approach recognised that 1 in 10 people need dignified washroom hygiene facilities regardless of legal mandates, progressive organisations recognise that all leaders need wellbeing support to effectively care for their people.
When we equip leaders with wellbeing tools, support their own thriving, and give them confidence to support others, we create a ripple effect throughout the organisation.
The Business Case: Supporting Leaders Creates Returns
Investing in leader wellbeing delivers measurable returns. Deloitte’s 2024 research found that leadership training focused on wellbeing shows a 5:1 return on investment, whilst universal early interventions demonstrate a 6.3:1 ROI.7
The outcomes are clear. When leaders have the confidence and tools to support wellbeing, organisations report reduced absence (mental health causes 41% of long-term absence), improved retention, and enhanced engagement.
When we measure the impact of our Wellbeing Ambassador Programme™, 82% of participants experience enhanced workplace performance and 92% feel equipped to support others’ wellbeing.6 These aren’t marginal gains, they represent fundamental shifts in how organisations operate.
The Practical Application: Training Leaders as Wellbeing Ambassadors
Our REST & RISE™ model at Goldcrest Training demonstrates that genuinely thriving workplaces requires a whole-organisation approach with three essential components:
Proactive strategies: When boards recognise the need for a systemic approach to wellbeing they go beyond managing ill-health and develop policies that support the conditions that enable people to thrive. From meeting tangible needs like universal hygiene facilities, ergonomic workspaces, and proper working conditions through to effective wellbeing training and support.
Leader wellbeing first: Before asking leaders to support others, we must ensure they’re thriving themselves. How resilient, innovative, successful and engaged are they feeling at work. These RISE Outcomes can be measured and improved with tools and training that focuses on their own physical, emotional, and psychological wellbeing. Leaders learn to apply the REST Method to create sustainable habits that are relatable, enjoyable, sociable, and trackable.
Equipped leaders supporting teams: Once leaders have built their own wellbeing foundation, they gain the confidence and capability to support others. They learn strengths-based leadership approaches, how to support people to be more energised and engaged at work, and how to create targeted wellbeing initiatives that resonate with their team’s needs.
This approach mirrors what Sanaway has done with ONE: recognising a universal need, providing proactive support, and normalising what should be standard practice. Just as ONE personal hygiene units reduce stigma around physical health needs, Wellbeing Ambassador training normalises the conversation around mental and emotional wellbeing, starting with leaders themselves.
Wellbeing cannot be an HR add-on. It must be woven into how the organisation operates, from board strategy and leadership development to team practices. This includes normalising conversations about health and creating an environment where daily wellbeing habits create cultures where everybody can thrive.
Learn more at: www.goldcresttraining.com
References
Sanaway Ltd. Sanaway launches ‘ONE’, the UK’s first unisex hygiene solution for all washroom environments [Press release]. 2025 Apr 28.
Office for National Statistics. Sickness absence in the UK labour market: 2023 and 2024 [Internet]. London: ONS; 2025 Jun 4.
CIPD, Simplyhealth. Health and wellbeing at work 2024 [Internet]. London: CIPD; 2024.
UKG. Mental health at work: managers and money [Internet]. 2023.
CIPD. Employee health and wellbeing [Internet]. London: CIPD; 2023.
Goldcrest Training. Empowering leaders to create thriving workplaces: impact report 2025.
. Deloitte UK. Mental health and employers: the case for investment. London: Deloitte; 2024.