The finalists for the 2023 Great British Workplace Wellbeing Awards have been unveiled ahead of the national final in March.
Britain’s ambassadors for better wellbeing and satisfaction in the workplace are being highlighted for the second year after the first ever Grand Final was held in 2022.
The Great British Workplace Wellbeing Awards were founded last year by the team behind the Great British Entrepreneur Awards in partnership with industry expert Wellity Global to bring conversations around workplace standards to the fore, and give leaders in the wellbeing space a platform to inspire others.
The inaugural awards saw trailblazing individuals and businesses big and small including Student Beans, Pets at Home Group PLC, KFC and Yorkshire Building Society recognised for their policies surrounding work-life balance, diversity and inclusion, and mental and physical health.
With over 500 applications, the 2023 shortlist has proven to be equally distinguished and diverse, spanning numerous industries and corners of the UK.
The Grand Final will be hosted for the second year by Wynne Evans, who can be seen regularly singing to millions for the TV advertising campaign that has made him a household name as the spoof opera star Gio Compario.
The nominees will be whittled down to winners by a panel of expert judges from the wellbeing space across 16 categories including Wellbeing Team of the Year, Best Mental Wellbeing Initiative and Most Inspiring Employee of the Year. Industry leaders from Gymshark, TikTok and Wagamama are among many other members of the 2023 judging panel.
Founder of the awards Francesca James said that a happier and healthier workforce is needed going forward: “In recent years, a growing ‘hustle culture’ has made people believe that they need to work long, unsociable hours, miss out on social occasions and put their job above everything else to be successful. This has since been countered by the rise of ‘quiet quitting’, which has seen exhausted and dissatisfied employees working-to-rule and putting in minimal effort.
“This dichotomy is evidence that, on both sides of the coin, the support from employers and colleagues is lacking and the relationship between people and their work life still needs to be addressed. The finalists for this year’s awards have been selected as they are at the very forefront of the drive for improvement and demonstrate huge dedication to building a workforce that feels both respected and motivated to achieve.
“The judges now have some tough decisions on their hands in crowning the winners for each category – I look forward to finding out who they will be on awards night and wish all of the finalists the very best!”
Simon Scott-Nelson, co-founder of Wellity Global and the Great British Workplace Wellbeing Awards, said how impressed he was by the applicants after the first round of judging: “It’s fantastic to have received so many inspiring applications from passionate wellbeing champions for a second year. The standard of entries was incredible, so the finalists should be very proud to have made it to the shortlist.
“The growing appetite for change within the workplace is clear from the sheer volume of dedicated entrants committed to making working lives better in their respective industries. Changing working cultures is something nobody can do alone, and it is only through the collaborative efforts of so many hard-working people that working lives can be transformed.
“We applaud all of the finalists for the important work they are doing to further this cause and are delighted to be offering a much-deserved opportunity for them to be recognised.”
The final of the Great British Workplace Wellbeing Awards will be held at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London in March 2023.
To find out more about the programme or to purchase tickets, visit freshbusinessthinking.com/great-british-workplace-wellbeing-series.
Great British Workplace Wellbeing Awards 2023 finalists:
Best Wellbeing in the Workplace Strategy: SME
Best Mental Wellbeing Initiative
Best Wellbeing Service Provider
Team of the Year
Best Support for Remote Workers
Best Wellbeing in the Workplace Strategy: Large Organisation
Breaking the Silence Award
- Dr Rebecca Brady, Medical Director at HCML
- Emma Davies, Wellbeing & Community Coordinator at BFBS
- Emma Everitt, Visual Design Lead at Avanade UK
- Fiona Skinner, Founder & CEO of The Fertility Coaching Company
- Mark Vickers, Programme Manager & Lead of Wellbeing Colleague Network at Wickes
- Melanie Redfern, Senior People Operations Advisor at Atkins
- Penny Hamilton, HR Manager at Wincanton
- Steve Blackwell, Learning & Development Partner at The National Deaf Children’s Society
- The Wellbeing Team, Logan Construction (SE)
- Victoria Holmes, Employee Communications Executive, EMEA and APAC at Nuveen
