Strathclyde doubles wellbeing event participation to 68%

Participation in health and wellbeing events at the University of Strathclyde doubled from 34% to 68% between 2025 and 2026, the sharpest single measure behind the institution's win in the Reward, Benefits & Wellbeing Strategy of the Year category at The Herald & s1jobs Top Employer Awards.

The Scottish university collected the award for the second time in three years, having previously been named Scottish Top Employer of the Year in 2024 — a year in which it also took Top Employer of the Year in the Large Business Category at the same ceremony. Judges then praised its commitment to employee development, inclusivity and positive workplace culture.

What changed for staff?

The Glasgow-based institution was recognised for what the award body called a holistic and effective approach to employee reward, benefits and wellbeing — HR shorthand for treating pay, perks and health support as one integrated system rather than separate line items.

The concrete additions sit mostly in family policy. Recent benefits include:

• Neonatal care leave and fertility leave
• Paid time off for antenatal, adoption and fostering appointments
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
• Volunteering opportunities and family-friendly policies
• Enhanced leave provisions and personalised pension guidance
• Access to a staff benefits platform

Adoption figures suggest the platform model is landing. Almost 1,500 staff have registered for the new benefits platform, and more than 450 colleagues have used personalised pension guidance — a take-up rate worth benchmarking for any employer wondering whether voluntary wellbeing infrastructure actually gets used.

What does the engagement data show?

The participation numbers carry more weight than the trophy. Mental health and wellbeing training uptake rose from 56% to 67% over the same 2025–2026 window, a smaller but steadier climb than the doubling of event attendance.

For people teams, the pattern is familiar: access alone does not produce engagement. Strathclyde attributes the growth to a bundle — flexible working, targeted leave policies, pension support and a unified benefits platform — rather than any single intervention.

Gordon Scott, Chief People Officer at the University of Strathclyde, said: "We are pleased to receive this award, which recognises our ongoing commitment to putting our people first and creating an outstanding employee experience and our Culture of Care."

Scott added: "Our people are at the heart of everything we do, and this award reflects the collective efforts across the University to create a values-based workplace where colleagues feel supported, valued and empowered to succeed. We remain committed to fostering an environment that enables our staff to thrive both professionally and personally."

Why does a repeat win matter?

The Herald & s1jobs awards celebrate organisations across Scotland building positive workplace cultures and supporting employees throughout their careers. A second recognition in three years indicates the 2024 result was not a one-off judging cycle, though award panels remain a soft proxy compared with engagement survey data.

The harder evidence is behavioural. A university workforce moving from a third of staff attending wellbeing events to two-thirds in roughly a year is a shift few large employers can claim. The pension guidance figure — 450 individual consultations — points to demand for personalised financial support, an area many employers still deliver as generic web content.

Whether Strathclyde sustains the 68% figure in a tighter funding environment for higher education will be the more telling test than any trophy. The university says it remains committed to an environment where staff thrive professionally and personally, and the trajectory of its participation data suggests that commitment currently has measurable traction.