The New Keepwell Mark: A people-centered approach to modern workplace culture

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Ibec is proud to announce the launch of its updated KeepWell Mark™ accreditation framework, incorporating two new pillars — Inclusion & Belonging and Talent Support & Development — alongside enhancing the standards of its existing wellbeing pillars. The revised framework is designed to support thriving workforces now and into the future and addresses the realities of modern work, including the rise of digitisation, remote working, and a highly competitive hiring environment.

Ibec’s KeepWell Mark is a formal evidence-based accreditation awarded to companies of all sizes, recognising best-in-class workplace wellbeing pioneers as well as companies who are striving to improve their workplace wellbeing strategy. Its framework is the benchmark for national standards of workplace wellbeing in Ireland. To date, hundreds of businesses nationwide across all sectors have been successfully accredited with the KeepWell Mark. These businesses value being able to benchmark their workplace wellbeing programmes against national standards and leverage the framework insights to inform their people strategy, impacting positively on their culture and in turn driving high performance. 

The revised framework, built on the latest wellbeing research, acknowledges the shift to a digitised, remote work environment, resulting mental health crises and the challenges of a highly competitive talent landscape. For example, the new Inclusion & Belonging pillar focuses on improving psychological safety and leveraging workforce diversity, while the Talent Support & Development pillar prioritises the growth and retention of existing talent.

"The updated framework offers employers practical tools and strategies to nurture a thriving workforce," said Paula Cain, Executive Director of Commercial Services at Ibec. "With a greater emphasis on inclusion, belonging, and talent development, the KeepWell Mark remains at the forefront of workplace wellbeing standards in Ireland."

Each of the eight pillars are designed to provide companies with actionable insights, guidance and resources to support understanding and implementation of the standards associated with each pillar. 

1. Leadership – How an organisation uses its policies and practices to create a working environment that promotes health and wellbeing.
   
2. Mental Health – How the organisation protects and promotes the mental wellbeing of staff through policies, management training, and support mechanisms.
   
3. Inclusion & Belonging – The ways in which an organisation enhances psychological safety, leverages workforce diversity, and fosters a positive, inclusive, and respectful work environment.
   
4. Talent Support & Development – How an organisation provides tools and resources to support employee performance, cultivate a positive team culture, and recognise achievements.
5. Occupational Safety & Health (OSH) – How an organisation monitors and improves health and safety, ensures legislative compliance, and manages risk assessments, training, reporting, and governance.
   
6. Nutrition & Physical Activity – How an organisation promotes and supports healthy eating and regular physical activity among staff.
7. Attendance Management – How an organisation adopts a preventative and supportive approach to managing attendance, focusing on supporting unwell staff.
8. Intoxicants – How an organisation addresses the use of intoxicants, with clear policies, confident management, and effective communication of information and regulations.

We’re also excited to announce that Stryker in Anngrove is the first company to be accredited under the new KeepWell Mark framework.

Ahana Maharaj, EHS Engineer at Stryker Additive Anngrove remarked that ‘In Stryker in Anngrove, the wellbeing of our employees is central to our culture and vital for both our employees and our organisational success. We take great pride in our commitment to supporting employee wellbeing and are honoured to have achieved the Ibec KeepWell Mark, making us the first company to receive this accreditation under this new framework.’

For more information about the updated KeepWell Mark framework and the accreditation process, please contact our team here.