“Have you ever had this thought about wellbeing in safety? I actually don’t know where to start.”

That was the opening line from Carli Phillips, CEO of Corporate Wellbeing Hub, during her keynote at the WHS Show—and judging by the room’s nodding heads, she wasn’t alone in that sentiment. 

In a field saturated with good intentions and mounting pressure, Phillips offered something rare: clarity. 

The Reality: Stuck, Scattered, or Strategic? 

Phillips described the three most common organisational mindsets when it comes to wellbeing in the workplace: 

• Stuck: Overwhelmed, unsure where to begin, frozen by the scale of what’s expected. 
• Scattered: Ad hoc efforts like “R U OK? Day” and an EAP number on the noticeboard—but no strategy, no calendar, and no forward planning. 
• Strategic: Calm, confident, and proactive, with a well-thought-out wellbeing and safety plan integrated across the business. 

“These are the companies that ring in October—Mental Health Month—and say, ‘Can you come out next week?’”

The Burnout Beneath the Surface 

Drawing on her experience as the former wellbeing lead at Johnson & Johnson, where her team won Best Health and Wellbeing Program in 2020, Phillips shared the personal cost of caring for others without boundaries. 

“I’ve also been that employee who burnt out. Badly. We give and we give and we give—and sometimes, we’re the worst role models for wellbeing.”

For many in HR, WHS, and leadership roles, the biggest irony is this: the more we focus on others, the more we risk forgetting ourselves. 

A Blueprint for Change 

Phillips didn’t just name the problem—she delivered a seven-part blueprint to shift organisations from “stuck” to “strategic.” Here are a few key takeaways: 

1. Deeply Understand Your People

Start with insight. Use the People at Work psychosocial risk survey and the Model Code of Practice to identify workplace risks. As Phillips put it: 

“You cannot fix what you cannot see. And it’s much easier than you think.”

These free tools provide built-in audit steps, action plans, and control measures—so there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. 

2. Run Focus Groups

“The risk for someone working indoors might be totally different to someone working outdoors.”

Focus groups allow teams to contextualize risk, co-design solutions, and hear directly from employees. External facilitation is recommended for objectivity. 

Phillips also highlighted the power of these sessions as a window into innovation—because the best ideas often come from the people living the experience. 

3. Support, Don’t Just Signpost

“Just having an EAP is not a strategy.”

Make sure your team knows how to access help—and what that experience is like. Phillips encouraged leaders to call their EAPs themselves: 

“Ring them. See what the triage is like. How long it takes. It’s really valuable to be able to share that firsthand.”

She also called out the need for literacy across the organization: mental health first aiders, burnout prevention training, and clear responsibilities shared across WHS, HR, and L&D—not isolated to one “wellbeing” person. 

4. Assess, Don’t Guess

When asked what wellbeing topics they want, Phillips said many organizations still guess based on lunchroom chatter. 

“I want us to move away from guessing and toward assessing.”

She advised using existing wellbeing metrics, health data, or—if needed—a full wellbeing audit to understand the real needs across the organization. 

More Than Compliance 

Perhaps the most powerful moment came when Phillips shared that steps one to three – understanding risks, running focus groups, and implementing basic support – are enough to meet legal compliance standards. 

“Isn’t that good? That wasn’t too hard.”

But her call to action was bigger than compliance. It was about culture. About proactively integrating wellbeing and safety, not treating them as separate silos. About forward planning, not frantic last-minute fixes. And most of all, about caring—strategically, sustainably, and systemically. 

If you’re overwhelmed, burnt out, or simply unsure where to begin, you’re not alone. 

“I really hope this blueprint can take a little bit of that weight off your shoulders.”

Because in the end, strategic wellbeing isn’t just about doing more. It’s about doing it right—so that you, your team, and your people can feel calm, confident, and in control. 

About Carli Phillips

Carli Phillips is the CEO of Corporate Wellbeing Hub, a leading expert in workplace wellbeing strategy and mental health. With a background in health leadership and award-winning programs, Carli helps organisations build proactive, sustainable wellbeing cultures.

Connect with Carli on LinkedIn or learn more at corporatewellbeinghub.com.