Employee Wellbeing Survey Questions: How UK Employers Can Listen and Act

Employee wellbeing survey questions can help employers understand how people are experiencing work before small problems become harder to manage.

But a useful workplace wellbeing survey should do more than ask whether employees are happy. It should help you understand workload, support, relationships, role clarity, control, change and whether people know where to turn when they need help.

This guide gives UK employers practical survey questions they can adapt, along with guidance on anonymity, response scales and what to do once the answers come back.

What Is an Employee Wellbeing Survey?

An employee wellbeing survey is a structured way to understand how employees experience their work, workplace support and overall wellbeing.

It can help identify patterns such as:

• unmanageable workloads;
• lack of control over work;
• poor manager or colleague support;
• unclear responsibilities;
• communication problems during organisational change;
• difficulty accessing wellbeing support; and
• areas where employees feel valued, supported and able to do good work.

A wellbeing survey is not a clinical mental health assessment. Employers should not use a general staff questionnaire to diagnose anxiety, depression, burnout or any other health condition.

What Should an Employee Wellbeing Survey Measure?

A good workplace wellbeing survey looks at more than individual feelings. It should also examine the way work is organised.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) identifies six areas of work design that can contribute to work-related stress when they are not managed properly:

• Demands: workload, work patterns and the working environment.
• Control: how much say employees have in how they work.
• Support: help and resources from managers, colleagues and the organisation.
• Relationships: positive working relationships and the management of conflict or unacceptable behaviour.
• Role: whether people understand their responsibilities.
• Change: how workplace changes are managed and communicated.

You can read the HSE Management Standards for work-related stress for the full framework.

For a wider employee wellbeing survey, it is also useful to ask about access to support, purpose, recognition and overall wellbeing.

24 Employee Wellbeing Survey Questions You Can Use

The following questions are designed as a practical starting point. They are not a clinical screening tool and do not replace the HSE Stress Indicator Tool or a workplace stress risk assessment.

For statement-based questions, a consistent response scale can make the results easier to compare:

Strongly disagree   |   Disagree   |   Neither agree nor disagree   |   Agree   |   Strongly agree

1. Overall Employee Wellbeing Questions

1. I feel able to maintain a reasonable balance between work and life outside work.
2. My current working arrangements support my overall wellbeing.
3. I generally have enough energy to manage my working day effectively.

If you want to measure personal wellbeing using an established national framework, the Office for National Statistics also provides the ONS4 personal wellbeing questions. They cover life satisfaction, whether life feels worthwhile, happiness and anxiety using a 0–10 scale.

If you choose to use ONS4, use the official wording and scoring guidance rather than rewriting the questions. See the ONS personal wellbeing guidance.

2. Workload and Work Pressure Questions

4. My workload is generally manageable within my normal working hours.
5. The deadlines I am given are usually realistic.
6. I feel able to take appropriate breaks during my working day.

These questions can help identify problems connected with work demands. If responses suggest repeated workload pressure, the next step should be to understand the causes rather than simply advising employees to become better at coping.

For more guidance, see our workplace stress risk assessment example.

3. Control and Autonomy Questions

7. I have a reasonable amount of say in how I organise my work.
8. I can raise concerns when deadlines or demands are unrealistic.
9. I have enough flexibility to use my skills and judgement in my role.

Control is one of the areas included in the HSE Management Standards. Where possible, employees should have appropriate involvement in how their work is carried out.

4. Manager and Colleague Support Questions

10. My manager provides useful support when I experience difficulties at work.
11. I can ask colleagues for help when I need it.
12. I know who to speak to if work is affecting my wellbeing.

The last question is particularly useful. An organisation may offer several support services, but those services have limited value if employees do not know they exist or are unsure how to access them.

This might include manager support, occupational health, counselling or an Employee Assistance Programme.

5. Relationships and Psychological Safety Questions

13. I am treated with respect by the people I work with.
14. I feel able to raise a work-related concern without being dismissed or ignored.
15. I believe inappropriate behaviour, bullying or conflict would be taken seriously.

These questions can help start conversations about working relationships and whether employees feel safe speaking up.

A low score should not automatically be interpreted as proof of bullying or another specific problem. It is a signal that the organisation may need to understand the issue in more detail.

6. Role Clarity Questions

16. I understand what is expected of me in my role.
17. My main responsibilities and priorities are clear.
18. I know who to speak to if different responsibilities conflict with each other.

Role confusion can create unnecessary pressure. Clear responsibilities, realistic priorities and accessible management support can all help reduce uncertainty.

7. Organisational Change Questions

19. Changes that affect my work are communicated clearly.
20. I receive enough information to understand how workplace changes may affect my role.
21. I have appropriate opportunities to ask questions or raise concerns during periods of change.

Communication matters during restructures, new systems, leadership changes and other periods of uncertainty. Employees do not need every decision to go their way, but they should understand what is happening and where they can raise concerns.

8. Wellbeing Support, Purpose and Recognition Questions

22. I know what wellbeing support is available through my organisation.
23. I feel that the contribution I make at work is recognised and valued.
24. I believe the organisation takes employee wellbeing seriously through its actions, not only its messages.

This final question is deliberately practical. Employees will often judge wellbeing culture by everyday working conditions rather than posters, emails or awareness campaigns.

Should Employee Wellbeing Surveys Be Anonymous?

Where practical, anonymity can make it easier for employees to answer honestly, especially when questions involve management support, workplace relationships or mental wellbeing.

The HSE’s own Stress Indicator Tool collects anonymous responses. It also sets minimum-response safeguards because very small groups can make individuals easier to identify.

If you promise employees that a survey is anonymous, make sure it genuinely is. Avoid collecting unnecessary details that could identify a respondent indirectly, such as combining a very small department, location, job title and demographic information.

There is also an important distinction between anonymous and confidential.

• Anonymous: the response cannot reasonably be linked back to an identifiable individual.
• Confidential: the organisation may know who provided information, but access is restricted and the information is handled under defined rules.

If a survey collects identifiable information about an employee’s physical or mental health, that information may be health data and therefore special category personal data under UK data protection law.

Employers collecting this type of information should understand their data protection responsibilities. The Information Commissioner’s Office guidance on workers’ health information is a useful starting point.

How Many Questions Should an Employee Wellbeing Survey Have?

There is no single correct number.

A short pulse survey might use 8–12 focused questions to check a small number of issues regularly. A broader employee wellbeing survey may use 20–30 questions to explore several areas in more detail.

The important point is not to ask more questions than you can use.

If your organisation asks employees about workload, management support and workplace culture but never discusses or acts on the findings, response rates and trust may fall over time.

How Often Should You Run a Workplace Wellbeing Survey?

Frequency should depend on what you are trying to understand.

A full survey may be appropriate periodically, while shorter pulse questions can be useful after a significant workplace change or while checking whether agreed actions are making a difference.

Avoid surveying employees so often that responding becomes another task with no visible outcome.

A useful rule is:

Do not ask again until you have communicated what you learned from the last survey and what you are doing about it.

What Response Scale Should You Use?

Consistency makes results easier to understand.

For workplace statements, a five-point agreement scale is often simple for employees to use:

• Strongly disagree
• Disagree
• Neither agree nor disagree
• Agree
• Strongly agree

If you use an established measure such as the ONS personal wellbeing questions, keep its official scale and wording rather than converting it into your own format.

It can also be useful to include one optional open question, such as:

What is one change that would most improve your experience of work?

This gives employees space to raise issues that a fixed questionnaire may have missed.

What Should Employers Do With Employee Wellbeing Survey Results?

This is where the survey becomes useful.

A good process can be kept simple:

1. Listen

Look for repeated patterns rather than reacting to a single response or focusing only on the overall average.

For example, one team may report good overall wellbeing while consistently scoring poorly on workload or role clarity. The detail matters.

2. Explore

A survey tells you where a concern may exist. It does not always tell you why.

Use appropriate team discussions, manager conversations, focus groups or other employee feedback to understand what is behind the result.

The HSE also advises employers not to rely on its Indicator Tool as their only source of information when assessing work-related stress.

3. Act

Choose a small number of realistic actions and make ownership clear.

Depending on the findings, that could mean:

• reviewing workloads or deadlines;
• clarifying responsibilities;
• improving manager communication;
• giving employees more appropriate control over how work is organised;
• addressing recurring relationship or behaviour concerns;
• making existing support easier to find;
• reviewing how organisational change is communicated; or
• making an occupational health referral where individual health and work needs require specialist advice.

For individual work and health concerns, see our Occupational Health Assessment UK guide.

4. Communicate

Tell employees what you heard.

You do not need to promise that every suggestion will be implemented. Explain:

• the main themes;
• what the organisation will address;
• what cannot currently be changed and why; and
• when progress will be reviewed.

This closes the feedback loop and shows employees that completing the survey had a purpose.

5. Review

Return to the relevant questions later and check whether the situation has changed.

Employee listening works best as a cycle:

Listen → understand → act → review.

An Employee Wellbeing Survey Is Not a Stress Risk Assessment

This distinction is important for UK employers.

A wellbeing survey can provide useful evidence about employee experience, but completing one does not by itself mean an employer has adequately assessed workplace stress risks.

The HSE states that employers have a legal duty to protect workers from work-related stress by carrying out a risk assessment and acting on the findings.

Its Management Standards approach focuses on demands, control, support, relationships, role and change.

If survey responses identify repeated pressure in any of these areas, use the findings as evidence within a wider risk-management process.

See our practical stress risk assessment example for workplaces for the next step.

What If Employees Say They Need More Support?

Not every wellbeing concern can be resolved through a team action plan.

Employees may need different types of support depending on the situation. This could include:

• a conversation with their manager;
• workplace adjustments;
• an Employee Assistance Programme;
• occupational health;
• appropriate professional healthcare; or
• changes to workload, responsibilities or working arrangements.

Employers should make support routes clear and easy to access rather than assuming employees already know what is available.

For more detail, read our guide to Employee Assistance Programmes in the UK.

Using Awareness Days to Start Better Conversations

Awareness events can be a useful prompt for employee listening, but wellbeing surveys should not become a once-a-year exercise.

For example, World Mental Health Day 2026 focuses on listening to lived experience and turning what people say into meaningful change.

An employer could use the event to open a conversation, review support or invite feedback. The important part is what happens after the awareness day has passed.

Employee Wellbeing Surveys and Everyday Workplace Culture

Survey results should also be considered alongside everyday working practices.

A questionnaire cannot compensate for unrealistic workloads, poor communication or a culture where employees do not feel safe raising concerns.

Likewise, individual wellbeing tools should support good working conditions rather than replace them.

For practical techniques employees can use during busy working days, see our guide to mindfulness at work. These approaches can support individual wellbeing, but employers still need to manage the underlying causes of work-related pressure.

Frequently Asked Questions

What questions should be included in an employee wellbeing survey?

Useful employee wellbeing survey questions should cover overall wellbeing, workload, control over work, manager and colleague support, workplace relationships, role clarity, organisational change and access to support. Questions should focus on areas the employer can understand and act on.

How many questions should an employee wellbeing survey have?

There is no fixed number. A short pulse survey might contain around 8–12 focused questions, while a broader workplace wellbeing survey may contain 20–30. Keep the survey focused enough that employees can complete it without unnecessary effort.

Should an employee wellbeing survey be anonymous?

Anonymity can help employees answer sensitive workplace questions more openly. If you describe a survey as anonymous, make sure respondents cannot reasonably be identified directly or through combinations of other information. If identifiable health information is collected, additional data protection requirements may apply.

How often should employers run a wellbeing survey?

There is no universal schedule. Use fuller surveys periodically and shorter pulse checks when there is a clear reason to measure progress or understand a workplace change. More important than frequency is showing employees what happened as a result of previous feedback.

How do you measure employee wellbeing?

Employee wellbeing can be explored through staff surveys alongside other relevant information such as absence patterns, employee discussions, workplace risk assessments and support usage. Established measures such as the ONS personal wellbeing questions can also be used where appropriate.

What should an employer do after a wellbeing survey?

Review patterns, discuss important findings with employees, agree a small number of actions, assign responsibility and communicate what will happen next. Repeat relevant questions later to see whether the situation has improved.

Is an employee wellbeing survey the same as a stress risk assessment?

No. A survey can provide useful evidence, but it does not replace an employer’s responsibility to assess and manage work-related stress risks. Survey findings can instead help identify areas that need further investigation within the risk-assessment process.

From Employee Feedback to Meaningful Action

The best employee wellbeing survey is not the one with the longest questionnaire or the most detailed dashboard.

It is the one that helps an organisation hear what employees are experiencing and make sensible improvements.

Ask clear questions. Protect trust. Look beyond the headline score. Discuss what the results mean. Then act on the issues the organisation can change.

Employee wellbeing improves when listening becomes part of how work is managed rather than an occasional HR exercise.

Sources and Further Reading

• Health and Safety Executive – Management Standards for work-related stress
• Health and Safety Executive – Stress risk assessment
• Office for National Statistics – Personal wellbeing survey guidance
• GOV.UK – Voluntary reporting on disability, mental health and wellbeing
• Information Commissioner’s Office – Workers’ health information and data protection

Employer information: This article provides general workplace wellbeing information and is not legal, medical or data protection advice. Employers should consider their organisation, workforce and legal responsibilities when designing surveys or processing employee health information.

Last factual review: September 2026.