WHISPAs Network
Workplace health and wellbeing initiatives that are free at the point of use to workplaces
Funded by the NIHR Work and Health Research programme NIHR209367
The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.
WHISPAs provide information, advice, activities, and/or accreditation about workplace health and wellbeing, such as guidance on policies about flexible working and caring responsibilities, mental health support, and fitness classes. They are free at the point of use for workplaces, usually because they are funded by local government or voluntary and community organisations. Free at the point of use means that participating workplaces do not need to pay anything to take part. Examples include the Better Health at Work Award in the North East and Cumbria, Workplace Wellbeing Award in the West Midlands, and Wellbeing at Work in East Sussex. If you are involved in a WHISPA, please get in touch with us – we want to hear from you.
WHISPAs stands for Workplace Health and Wellbeing Initiatives that are Free at the Point of Use to Workplaces
The WHISPA network
NIHR Research Programme (2026-2031)
Health and wellbeing problems can be prevented or improved by giving the right support to staff and workplaces. However, this support can be expensive, which means some people may not get the help they need. This can lead to unfair differences in health. This research programme aims to:
-Identify health and wellbeing support that is already available to staff and workplaces for free.
-Understand how workplaces use free support with staff.
-Develop a support package for local government, focussing on mental and musculoskeletal health (bones, muscles, and joints).
-Test how and if the package works to prevent sickness absence.
First, we will update existing reviews about free support and speak to staff and policymakers (2026-2027). Second, we will combine details of different support options into a new support package (2027-2028). Finally, we will test out the new package in a trial with local regions workplaces 2028-2031). A group of public contributors with experience of workplace ill health support the work.
For reference, the updated content is from the homepage on our project website