20th April 2026
Workplace wellbeing programmes have expanded rapidly over the past decade. Many organisations now invest in mental health initiatives, employee assistance programmes and broader wellbeing strategies, recognising the connection between employee health, productivity and retention.
But those systems were largely built for a traditional employment model – and often only apply after an employee has been in the role for a set period. As organisations increasingly rely on contractors, freelancers and project specialists, a growing share of the workforce now operates outside the structures through which most wellbeing support is delivered.
The shift is significant. According to UK government statistics, around 4.8 million people in the UK are self-employed, representing roughly 13.5% of the workforce. Globally, research from the McKinsey Global Institute suggests that between 20% and 30% of working-age people in Europe and the US engage in some form of independent work.
For businesses, the appeal of this model is clear. Contractors allow organisations to access specialist expertise quickly, scale teams around projects and bring in talent that might not otherwise be available. But flexible workforce models can also introduce different pressures for the individuals working within them.
The contractor experience
Contract work can offer autonomy and variety, yet it often carries greater uncertainty than permanent employment. Income may fluctuate between assignments, contract renewals are rarely guaranteed and individuals may work across multiple organisations without the stability of a long-term role.
Dominic Bennett, founder of On Wellbeing, says the pressures faced by contractors are often less visible inside organisations. Having worked in recruitment earlier in his career, he saw how contractors could sit at the edges of company culture.
“Contractors are often working inside organisations but not fully part of them,” he says. “They may not have access to the same networks, managers or support structures as permanent employees. Over time that can create a very different experience of work – particularly when there is uncertainty around the next contract or renewal.”
Academic research has increasingly highlighted the connection between insecure employment and mental wellbeing. Studies examining gig and platform workers have found that individuals in these roles often report lower levels of wellbeing and life satisfaction than traditional employees, with financial precarity and social isolation frequently cited as contributing factors. Other research in occupational psychology has consistently linked job insecurity with increased levels of anxiety and stress.
A gap in workplace support
At the same time, employers have become far more aware of the importance of workplace wellbeing. According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development Good Work Index, around 25% of UK workers say their job has a negative impact on their mental health. Many organisations have responded by expanding wellbeing initiatives and strengthening support structures for employees.
Yet those initiatives are usually designed for permanent staff. Contractors often sit outside HR systems entirely, which means they may not have access to the same support mechanisms that full-time employees rely on.
This creates a practical question for organisations that depend heavily on flexible talent: who is responsible for supporting the wellbeing of workers who are not technically employees?
Who is responsible?
In many contractor arrangements, the answer is not straightforward. A contractor may work day to day within a client organisation, but be engaged through a recruitment agency or umbrella company. Each party plays a different role in the employment relationship, and responsibility for wellbeing can easily become blurred.
Bennett believes that ambiguity is becoming more visible as flexible work expands. “The contractor economy was built around flexibility and speed, not around support structures,” he says. “When something affects an employee’s wellbeing, there is usually a clear line of responsibility. With contractors, that line is much harder to see. The risk is that everyone assumes someone else is taking care of it.”
For organisations, the question is not purely ethical. Mental health has clear implications for performance and productivity. Research by Deloitte estimates that poor mental health costs UK employers tens of billions of pounds each year through absence, presenteeism and staff turnover. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development also reports that mental health conditions are now the leading cause of long-term sickness absence in UK workplaces.
Contractors are often brought in to deliver critical projects or specialist work, which means their wellbeing can have a direct impact on delivery outcomes. If flexible workforces continue to expand, organisations may need to think more carefully about how wellbeing support is structured across different forms of employment.
The question is no longer just how employers support their staff. As contractor work grows, organisations may need to rethink how wellbeing is supported across workforces that extend beyond traditional employment.
As the nature of work evolves, the systems designed to support the people doing that work may need to evolve with it.
