“As an industry, PR does indeed have a historic reputation of poor employee wellbeing,” says employee wellbeing consultant Steve Herbert.

He says this is likely down to the “always on, 24/7 demands of the job” combined with sudden, high-pressure situations that can arise at short notice. And, if the latest research by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) is to be believed then it hasn’t improved.

While it only surveyed 116 PR practitioners in the UK, the data painted a picture of lacklustre wellbeing initiatives and waning mental health across the industry, as 29% of practitioners rated their stress levels at the higher tier of eight to 10.

But, Herbert contests: “In recent years, many of the larger organisations in the PR space have been taking employee wellbeing far more seriously. This change in approach is a recognition that improved staff wellbeing can lead to lower levels of illness absence, reduced staff turnover, and candidate appeal in a still competitive jobs market.

“It follows that good employee wellbeing is now a PR business imperative for many in the sector rather than a nice to have.”

It’s evident that while many PR professionals still suffer (perhaps disproportionately) from high levels of stress and poor mental health, PR employers are recognising the need to improve.

Shouting about benefits

One of the tell-tale signs that PR leaders are aware of a lag in wellbeing, and trying to enact positive change, is in job advertisements.

Marie O’Hara-White, head of HR at Berkeley Communications, says that the offer of both wellbeing support and flexible working, which absolutely form part of your total wellbeing package, has increased post-pandemic.

“We have noticed wellbeing included in a lot more job adverts within the industry recently,” says O’Hara-White. “This can be mentioned in various different ways, such as an offer of EAP (Employee Assistance Programme), wellness days, or by highlighting a supportive work culture.

“Flexible working still remains the front runner in job adverts. However, this, in turn, can also support well-being – freeing up commuting time, aiding productivity levels, providing employees with more time to exercise, and offering a more favourable work-life balance.”

PR professionals taking the reins 

Interestingly, according to Azzopardi-Brown, candidates are also taking ownership of their well-being and actively asking questions about potential employers before the interview.

“The post-pandemic world of work has certainly seen an increase in talent questioning an agency's approach to mental health, well-being and overall work-life balance. The agencies that are attracting the best talent are the ones who speak about all aspects of their culture, not just the work they do but celebrating their team, showcasing their L&D programmes and being honest about how they promote employee wellbeing.”

This was echoed by Sarah Leembruggen, managing director at The Works Search: "We meet a lot of candidates and wellbeing is a big issue when it comes to their recruitment decisions. In our recent survey of communications professionals, we asked which benefits they value the most, and we found that an increasing number desire benefits that prioritise their overall wellbeing. 

"Access to emotional wellbeing support and flexible working hours are now seen as essential, providing the necessary tools to manage stress and prevent burnout. The option to take mental health sabbaticals is an attractive offering as it allows employees to recharge and maintain that all-important healthy work-life balance, as well as benefitting employers as they help nurture a more resilient and motivated workforce. We have seen candidates turn down roles that don’t offer a competitive annual leave allowance and won’t be put forward for roles that don’t offer hybrid working."

Action points for PR leaders

If PR firms are shouting more about wellbeing and trying to shift the dial for the sector, benefits and employer brand is only half the battle. It needs to be delivered sustainably from the top down. 

Rachel Suff, senior wellbeing adviser at the Chartered Institute for Professional Development (CIPD) says that leaders are the key to unlocking improved wellbeing in PR. 

“Leaders play a vital role in embedding employee wellbeing and raising awareness about its importance across the workforce. They have a defining influence on the values and culture of the organisation and set the tone for how seriously other employee groups view health and wellbeing. They can be influenced by role-modelling healthy behaviour and communicating positive messages.

“They are also key to implementing employee wellbeing programmes by ensuring they are integrated in areas such as corporate strategy, line management capability, training and communication initiatives. They hold the key to unlocking investment in health and wellbeing and can ensure that it’s prioritised in operational planning. By monitoring the return on investment in wellbeing, leaders can ensure that the organisation’s resources are having the best impact and meeting employees’ health needs.”

Adding resources doesn't have to break the bank, according to Herbert. Most medium and large PR agencies now have some employer-funded employee benefits in place to support their workforce, and these existing offerings "may provide a low-cost opportunity" to improve workforce wellbeing.

"In recent years, many valuable extra features have been added – usually without charge – to a wide variety of existing employee benefits. PR agencies may, therefore, find that they now have access to a far wider range of tools to support the physical, mental, and financial health of their employees, he says.

"This leads to an area that should be meat and drink for PR agencies – the effective communication of their benefits offering to their workforce! Effective communication and awareness of support options is the key to better benefits usage, and that can only improve worker wellbeing. I would therefore strongly encourage PR agencies to undertake regular employee-level communications to ensure that their workers are aware of what is on offer, how it will help, and (importantly) how that support can be accessed."

Issues surrounding wellbeing, diversity and inclusion in the workplace are an ever-changing, constant piece and will never be completed. But if leaders continue to strive to make changes, from day one in an organisation and shout about their accomplishments in this area, then the next CIPR dataset on wellbeing might tell a different story.