Strengthening the present workforce

WorkL’s latest Global Workplace Report recommends practices for enhancing employee well-being

By Krystal Anjela H. Gamboa

Employee well-being has become a decisive factor in organizational success. As the workforce continues to evolve Southeast Asia and worldwide, WorkL’s Global Workplace Report highlights profound shifts in workplace expectations — from the rise of flexible work, increased focus on fair pay, leadership trust, inclusivity, and psychological safety.

The report organizes workplace experience into six well-being pillars: fair pay and fair pay conversations, flexible working, inclusion and belonging, leadership, learning and development, and health and well-being.

For Philippine employers, these insights matter more than ever. With a young workforce, a thriving services sector, and heightened employee mobility, organizations must deliberately invest in well-being if they wish to retain top talent, drive engagement, and build resilient workplaces.

The report’s narrative analysis reveals consistent themes across regions. Employees emphasize the importance of inclusion, empathetic leadership, fair treatment, and authenticity. Stress and burnout remain universal concerns, underscoring the need for holistic well-being strategies.

Filipino employees, meanwhile, increasingly seek workplaces that offer psychological safety, meaningful relationships, professional growth, and flexible structures that support their lives outside work. Employees who align with these expectations gain competitive advantage in building strong organizational cultures.

Additionally, the six pillars form the foundation of the 2025 workplace scorecard, creating a holistic framework for measuring how employees feel about their environment. These pillars emphasize that well-being cannot be achieved through isolated initiatives or perks alone. It must be an ecosystem structured around fairness, trust, empowerment, and psychological safety.

Fair pay and compensation

The report underscores that fair pay remains one of the strongest determinants of whether employees feel valued in the workplace. However, compensation fairness extends beyond the actual amount received — employees also prioritize transparency around salary and clarity around salary practices.

In the Philippine context, where financial pressures and rising costs of living are persistent concerns, regular benchmarking and transparent pay practices contribute significantly to employee trust. Employers, then, should focus on constructive pay dialogues, equip managers to communicate compensation decisions clearly, and ensure that reward systems reflect both market standard and individual contributions.

When employees believe their compensation is fair and well-explained, they are more likely to remain engaged and committed.

Flexible working

Flexibility in working is positioned in the report as an essential and permanent feature of modern work rather than a temporary response to global disruptions.

Flexibility encompasses remote or hybrid setups, adjustable work hours, and autonomy over how and when tasks are completed. For Philippine employees, flexibility has a direct impact on well-being due to challenges such as long commutes, urban congestion, and caregiving responsibilities.

Providing flexible work options reduces stress, improves energy levels, and enhances productivity. Employers can implement hybrid arrangements for applicable roles, introduce flexi-time policies, and shift toward output-based performance measurements.

Leadership support is crucial for ensuring that flexible working enhances both well-being and business results. When implemented properly, flexibility becomes one of the strongest attractors for talent retention and higher workplace satisfaction.

Inclusivity and belonging

Employees thrive when they feel respected, accepted, and connected to their organization. Workplaces with cultures of belonging experience higher psychological safety and reduced turnover.

While the Philippines is known for its warm and community-oriented culture, local workplaces can still struggle with hierarchical dynamics, generational differences, or unconscious biases. Employers can strengthen belonging by implementing genuine inclusion initiatives, supporting employee resource groups, ensuring safe and confidential reporting channels for discrimination, and building team rituals that foster connection.

Genuine inclusion strengthens engagement, improves morale, and helps employees feel that they belong, not just in work, but also in the organization.

Photo from Freepik

Leadership as contributor

Leadership remains as the most powerful determinant of workplace well-being, according to WorkL’s report. Employees’ daily experiences are shaped significantly by how leaders communicate, make decisions, and demonstrate care.

Leadership challenges appear across regions and are consistently reflected in narrative data: employees want leaders they can trust, who listen, who communicate openly, and who prioritize well-being alongside performance.

In the Philippines, leadership challenges often stem from hierarchical traditions, discomfort with feedback, and persistent output-first mentality. Employers should invest in leadership development that emphasizes emotional intelligence, psychological safety, and coaching. Embedding well-being into the leadership key performance indicators (KPIs) and establishing feedback loops where employees can evaluate leadership behaviors help create accountability.

When leaders model empathy, trust-building, and openness, overall well-being improves exponentially across teams.

Investing in learning and development

Learning and development are presented in the report as a central well-being element, not just a professional benefit. Growth directly influences motivation, engagement, and retention. Employees who feel stagnant are more likely to disengage or leave.

The report highlightsthe importance of accessible development pathways, upskilling opportunities, and career mobility. Philippine organizations can support well-being by offering structured career progression, regular skills training, mentorship programs, and internal mobility options. These efforts demonstrate commitment to employees’ futures and strengthen the psychological contract between employer and employee.

When employees see a clear path forward, their sense of purpose and fulfilment grows.

Health and overall wellness

Health and well-being are the most direct pillars of workplace wellness. Philippine employers can significantly improve well-being by establishing mental health programs, offering counseling services, creating policies that discourage after-hours work, and providing wellness benefits such as telemedicine and metal health days.

Ensuring ergonomic and safe working conditions (both on-site and remote) is just as essential. As burnout and stress remain global issues, organizations must create and design work environments where health is protected proactively.

Strong health and well-being support systems create resilient, energized, and motivated teams.

Strategies for Philippine employers

The report’s six pillars and narrative insights can be highly beneficial to Philippine organizations to build effective building strategies.

First employers should adopt well-being monitoring tools to track leadership quality, stress levels, inclusion, and engagement. The tools must be supported by data-based decision making that ensures accountability.

Second, employers must utilize a “well-being by design” philosophy that integrates well-being into policies, practices, and culture.

Third, managers should be expected to or should be trained as wellbeing stewards who promote psychological safety and support their teams proactively.

Fourth, organizations must invest in inclusivity efforts that are authentic, consistent, and supported by leadership.

Fifth, developing employees through structured learning programs and career pathways strengthens motivation and loyalty.

Finally, integrating health and well-being programs into everyday workflows ensures long-term impact rather than treating them as add-ons or optional.

What it means for PHL’s economic growth

The report underscores that improving employee well-being is not only a human capital priority, but also an economic imperative for the Philippines.

A workforce that feels supported, fairly compensated, healthy, and connected to meaningful career growth becomes more productive, innovative, and resilient.

This directly strengthens national competitiveness in key sectors such as business process outsourcing, technology, manufacturing, retail, and services industries that heavily rely on high employe engagement and low turnover.

WorkL’s Global Workplace Report 2025 makes one message clear: well-being is no longer optional, it is strategic. For Filipino employers embracing the report’s well-being pillars will shape the future of work in the country. By investing in fair pay, flexibility, inclusivity, leadership, development, and health, organizations can create environments where employees feel valued and supported.

As the Filipino workforce evolve with new expectations, employers who prioritize well-being will not only strengthen business performance but also contribute to a healthier, more empowered workforce.

Ultimately, well-being is not merely a perk. It is the foundation of modern, purpose-driven, and competitive workplaces.

Learn more about the BusinessWorld Best Places to Work 2025 results and explore the 2026 cycle at https://www.bworldonline.com/bwbestplacestowork/.