We have just observed World Mental Health Day, which means many employees will have seen campaigns, conversations and corporate initiatives highlighting the importance of mental wellbeing. Some may have even taken part in a wellness day, attended a talk or joined a team activity designed to encourage people to pause and think about their mental health.

These initiatives are important in that they help bring mental health into the open and can challenge the dangerous stigma that prevents many people from asking for help. But employee wellbeing cannot be addressed through once-off activities alone.

The real test is what happens when the wellness day is over.

Do employees feel safe telling their manager they are struggling? Can they raise concerns about an unmanageable workload? And do they truly believe that asking for support will be met with empathy rather than judgement?

These are questions of psychological safety that are increasingly being viewed as a business imperative. McKinsey research found that 89% of employee respondents regarded psychological safety in the workplace as essential, and links it to outcomes including team effectiveness, learning, retention, better decision-making and performance.

Creating that environment begins with how people are led every day. Leaders need to communicate with empathy, listen without immediately judging or dismissing concerns, and show employees that speaking up is valued. Inclusive workplace practices matter too, because employees are more likely to contribute fully when different perspectives are welcomed and people feel they belong.

Workload is another important part of the equation. Employers cannot encourage people to prioritise their wellbeing while simultaneously normalising excessive workloads, constant availability and insufficient time to recover.

This is particularly relevant in South Africa. SADAG’s Working Life Survey, based on 963 respondents, found that 75% thought about work when they were not at work, while 61% wished they could afford to quit their jobs. Tight deadlines and time pressure were reported as a challenge by 32% of respondents, long working hours by 30%, and insufficient leave or time off by 25%.

There is an economic cost too. Health economists estimate that unaddressed mental health conditions cost South Africa R161 billion a year through lost working days due to illness, burnout and, in extreme cases, premature mortality.

In other words, looking after people and running a high-performing business are not competing objectives. And it starts with everyday behaviour like managers checking in meaningfully rather than mechanically; teams having honest conversations about capacity and deadlines; employees knowing what support is available and how to access it; and businesses paying attention to workloads before exhaustion turns into burnout.

Employers should also look closely at what their workplace culture rewards. If people hear messages about wellbeing but see employees praised for working late, remaining permanently available or pushing through when they are unwell, the unofficial message will often carry more weight.

World Mental Health Day creates a valuable moment to put workplace wellbeing in the spotlight, but the bigger opportunity is to ensure it remains there when the campaign comes to an end. Psychological safety is built in those ordinary interactions between leaders and their people, and it is there that organisations can create workplaces where people feel safe enough to speak up, supported enough to ask for help, and empowered to contribute at their best.