As the world observes World Mental Health Day on October 10, many organisations focus on workplace wellness programmes to address mental health risks. However, these interventions may not tackle the root cause of the problem. According to Catherine Nyaga-Mbithi, a Governance and Risk Strategist, the real threat to mental health is not the lack of wellness programmes but a lack of trust. Trust is built by leaders and boards, and it empowers employees to engage openly and healthily in the workplace.
Employees often avoid workplace wellness programmes due to concerns about confidentiality. They suffer in silence, which later manifests as declining performance, wellbeing, and disengagement. Gallup's State of the Global Workplace 2026 report found that only 21 percent of Kenyan employees are engaged at work, comparable to 19 percent in Sub-Saharan Africa and 20 percent globally. Low employee engagement was estimated to cost organisations and economies approximately $10 trillion annually in lost productivity.
The low engagement in Kenyan workplaces is attributable to weak trust in leadership, inadequate communication, and lack of belief in the organisation’s direction. This undermines mental health and wellbeing interventions adopted by the organisation. A regulatory investigation into the Boeing 737 Max in 2024 revealed how a lack of trust in leadership discouraged employees from speaking up, leading to a deteriorating safety culture.
In contrast, research by Hilton in 2026 found that high trust and engagement drive stronger business performance, with engaged companies achieving 18 percent higher productivity and 23 percent greater profitability. Trust, not wellness programmes, is the cornerstone of a healthy workplace culture and the key to addressing mental health risks. Leaders and boards should foster a culture of trust where employees feel supported and empowered to speak up and thrive.
Leaders and boards are responsible for setting the right culture within the organisation. Improving employee trust requires deliberate actions such as using an independent, external counselling provider, training managers to recognize distress and respond without judgement, and adopting a clear no-retaliation policy for those raising concerns.
Leaders and boards should also conduct surveys on levels of trust in leadership, employee engagement, and speak-up culture, and address emerging concerns in a timely manner. It is argued that managing mental and psychological wellbeing is ultimately a personal responsibility, and that employers have limited influence over personal challenges. However, organisations have a responsibility to lead with empathy and humanity.
Given that employees spend at least 40 hours each week at work, the workplace plays a significant role in shaping their experiences, wellbeing, and overall quality of life. As Dr. Martin Oduor-Otieno highlights in his book, The Humanized Leader, organisations have a responsibility to lead with empathy and humanity. Catherine Nyaga-Mbithi helps organizations optimize performance through the application of good governance and risk management principles.
Key points
- Trust is built by leaders and boards and is key to a healthy workplace culture.
- Low employee engagement costs organisations and economies approximately $10 trillion annually in lost productivity.
- High trust and engagement drive stronger business performance, with engaged companies achieving higher productivity and profitability.
