The Heart of the Matter: A Well-Being Summit for the Modern Workplace

On November 28, 2025, HR and well-being leaders from across the Philippines gathered for The Heart of the Matter: A Well-Being Summit for the Modern Workplace, organized by the People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP). The summit brought forth an essential message: behind every strategy, policy, and business goal is a human being — and the health of that human being is the foundation of organizational performance.

Throughout the event, speakers emphasized that well-being is no longer a mere add-on. It is a corporate necessity. From discussions on universal healthcare and mental health benefits to leadership conversations about psychological safety, capability building, and the modern challenges employees face, the day highlighted an undeniable truth: employee well-being drives workplace success.

One of the most anticipated sessions came from Dr. Marshall N. Valencia, social and organizational psychologist and lead researcher behind PVP’s HRMetre analytics. His talk, “The State of Employee Engagement and Mental Health in the Philippine Workforce: Insights from Multi-Industry Analytics,” explored the realities faced by Filipino employees today, using extensive HRMetre data gathered from 2024 to 2025 across private organizations, government agencies, and hybrid work environments.

Dr. Marshall revealed a striking paradox emerging from the data. Filipino employees report high job satisfaction, yet low perceived performance. They appreciate their roles, value their organizations, and show strong commitment to their teams — but internally, many feel mentally drained, emotionally overwhelmed, and uncertain about their ability to perform at their peak. It is not a crisis of motivation; it is a crisis of fatigue.

The analytics showed rising emotional exhaustion, sustained levels of stress and anxiety, and a steady increase in burnout risk. Trust in leadership and clarity of communication are also declining, echoing concerns raised by other speakers throughout the summit. Employees are not simply tired from work; they are overwhelmed by a combination of work expectations, life pressures, digital overload, and the lingering emotional impact of the pandemic.

These patterns align with several post-pandemic realities repeatedly highlighted during the event. Work-life boundaries remain blurred, even for onsite and hybrid employees. Digital transformation and constant change have resulted in mental fatigue. Workplace communities — once a natural source of belonging and social support — have weakened. Employees no longer struggle because they lack dedication; they struggle because their capacities are stretched thin.

To help the audience understand the findings better, Dr. Marshall presented a sample HRMetre dashboard, showcasing real analytics that organizations use to measure and interpret employee engagement and mental health. The dashboard illustrated key engagement drivers: leadership empathy, psychological safety, workload clarity, trust, and recognition. It also displayed critical mental health indicators such as stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout. The predictive analytics component showed which factors most strongly influence retention, job performance, engagement scores, and eNPS.

Across industries, a clear pattern emerged: when leadership empathy improves, employee engagement invariably increases. When empathy declines, burnout rises. This aligns with insights shared earlier by organizational leaders from Nissan, Sun Life, MindWell, and other companies who noted that mental health cannot be solved by individual interventions alone — structural systems and leadership behaviors must evolve.

Dr. Marshall emphasized several actions organizations can take. First, upgrade leadership. While AI and digital systems can automate processes, only human leaders can offer empathy, emotional intelligence, and meaningful connection. Second, redesign work to reduce overwhelm by clarifying expectations, simplifying work processes, and managing digital saturation. Third, strengthen trust and communication to create psychological safety. Fourth, rebuild workplace community to restore the sense of belonging lost since the pandemic. Finally, organizations must continuously measure well-being, using data as a guide rather than relying on intuition.

Throughout the summit — from universal healthcare discussions, Yakap program insights, and well-being frameworks to leadership reflections and organizational case studies — one message was consistent: employee well-being is the core of performance, innovation, retention, and resilience. Dr. Marshall’s session reinforced this message with clear data-driven evidence, highlighting that the Filipino workforce is capable, committed, and full of heart, yet in need of workplaces that honor the human experience behind the numbers.

As the event concluded, participants left with a renewed understanding: designing healthier workplaces, leading with empathy, and using data not only to track performance but to understand people are now essential responsibilities of every organization. And ultimately, that is — and will always be — the heart of the matter.