'A global first' | How KPMG's unique study of staff mental health could aid workplace wellbeing

KPMG UK will open its doors to researchers as part of a long-term study into the effects of its wellbeing initiatives on employee mental health.

The Big Four firm has announced a “global first” partnership with the University of Cambridge, which will seek to understand how the world of work is changing, starting with what really works when it comes to supporting employees’ mental wellbeing.

The partnership will see researchers from different disciplines spend five years scrutinising the firm to better understand the factors that affect mental wellbeing at work. The project aims to show how different kinds of supports can boost individual mental wellbeing, enhance productivity and promote a healthy workforce for the future.

The prestigious university’s researchers will assess the effectiveness of the mental wellbeing initiatives the firm currently offers to its 16,000 UK employees. In doing so, they aim to develop an evidence base of what really works, and how new support measures can be developed and evaluated to meet employees’ future needs. The firm will use these insights to invest in and evolve its package of mental wellbeing support.