From silence to engagement: how leadership shapes employee participation in workplace mental wellbeing initiatives

Purpose Employee mental wellbeing is a critical driver of engagement and productivity, creating a strategic imperative for organizations to foster psychologically safe workplaces through targeted wellbeing initiatives and supportive resources. Despite widespread investment in such initiatives, employee participation remains persistently low, while workplace mental wellbeing continues to decline globally. This study examines the barriers and enablers that influence employee participation in workplace mental wellbeing initiatives. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts a case study design with a large local government organization in New Zealand. Data were collected via 24 interviews with 18 employees, five managers and one representative from the organization's Employee Assistance Program provider. Findings Our findings indicate that employee participation in mental wellbeing initiatives is a socially regulated behavior that is directly and indirectly influenced by leadership. We identify various leadership behaviors that we conceptualize as a continuum of wellbeing leadership, ranging from overt obstruction through to promoting. We also identify contextual and individual factors influencing participation and highlight the role of silence behaviors as proximal determinants of participation. Originality/value This study contributes to employee wellbeing research by identifying silence behavior as a key mechanism linking leadership and context to participation. We also contribute to leadership literature by conceptualizing wellbeing leadership as a continuum of behaviors that can inhibit or enable employee participation in mental wellbeing initiatives.