Head of Marketing
5 Minutes Read
This blog is based on an episode 5 of Can We Have a Word? with Kara Connect CEO and Founder Tobba Vigfusdottir, featuring Brian Samson, Head of Health Promotion at ESB Networks, Ireland’s national electricity network operator.
As a company with deep roots in Irish infrastructure and a workforce spread across the country, ESB Networks has been evolving how it supports employee wellbeing: mentally, emotionally, and physically. Brian shares what’s worked, what they’ve learned, and what they’re still figuring out. His practical advice is gold for anyone in HR, health and safety, or wellbeing roles.
Here are 6 tips from Brian Samson’s own words to improve employee wellbeing directly that are working well at ESB on the podcast.
1. Securing leadership buy-in from day one
“Leadership involvement gives real credibility to anything that we’re doing. It just sends out the right message and sets the right tone.”
That support allowed wellbeing to become part of the safety culture—not an add-on, but a core value.
2. Use storytelling with your data
“Numbers are open to interpretation. So trying to find the right balance between data and telling a good story around what we do and health and wellbeing. It is a challenge because some people, especially at the senior end, like to see data and that’s all they like to see.
They just want to see figures. That has been the eternal challenge for us from health and wellbeing and especially since I started in the job as health and wellbeing becomes more relevant in our organisation, it also becomes more expensive because these initiatives, they cost money to implement and to run and to maintain. So there is some justification needed as well.
We do use data. We’re trying to pull away a little bit from the data, still use the right amount and appropriate amount, but match that up with a good story around it as well.”
Data matters, but stories make it stick. There is a need to pair numbers with real, human narratives to make wellbeing resonate, especially with senior leaders. While data justifies the spend, stories create the connection that drives lasting support.
3. EAPs are just one part of the wellbeing strategy
“There is an over-reliance on external EAP providers. When you’re signposting the conversation outside of the organisation, I don’t think that’s a good fit. Companies are missing a huge opportunity to develop and encourage the conversation around mental health in the organisation. That’s been an issue for a long, long time and it still exists. I think it just shows a lack of understanding or a real lack of desire to make a real difference in the workplace when it comes to supporting mental health.”
EAPs are one piece of the wellbeing strategy—not the whole solution.
4. Listen to your employees and test new initiatives
“We go directly and listen to the employees, spending time with them, understanding their role, understanding the occupational health and wellbeing supports they need, look at wellbeing risks to their job. And from that, then we will generally do some sort of a test environment with an initiative.”
A good wellbeing strategy starts by listening first. By spending time with employees in their day-to-day roles and identifying the specific wellbeing risks they face, the team can test and tailor initiatives that actually meet real needs—instead of guessing from behind a desk.
5. Lead by example
“One of our executive directors took two days out of her very busy schedule to take the mental health first aid training. She attends most if not all of our engagement sessions of which we have many every year. And we recently just had our mental health first aid conference in the ESB where we get all of our mental health first aiders together in the room.
And again, she took a day out of her schedule to come open and close and speak at that conference as well. You know, it just sends out the right message, not just to the organisation but it gives great encouragement to the mental health first aiders as well to really engage with the program.”
Leadership involvement in mental health initiatives—such as completing training and actively participating in wellbeing events—helps create a culture where mental health is openly supported and prioritised across the organisation.
6. Create your wellbeing champion network
“Every organisation, regardless of whether they have a health and wellbeing strategy or a health and wellbeing team, will have people in their organisation who are hugely passionate and interested in health and wellbeing and making the workplace a better place.
So every organisation will have potential health and wellbeing champions who will volunteer some time to get involved. That is a great way to start getting a survey out to employees. This is going to give you some really great data back to work on and make a start on.
Within that champion network you may have people who are qualified in nutrition, fitness, maybe studying, who can make some sort of inroads into putting an initiative together as well. So there are very quick and easy ways for this to happen.”
Identifying and supporting these wellbeing champions is a powerful way to kickstart health initiatives, gather valuable employee feedback, and build momentum—often tapping into existing skills like nutrition or fitness within the team to create meaningful programs.
Conclusion
ESB Networks made a choice more than six years ago to put wellbeing at the heart of its safety culture. And while the journey is ongoing, the results are clear: more open conversations, better support, and a healthier, more resilient workforce.
👉 Listen to the full episode 5 of Can We Have a Word? with Tobba Vigfusdottir
If you’re responsible for people, culture, or safety, don’t miss this conversation.
