Employee Relations

14 must-read books on workplace wellness & positive culture

By Gabriela Paz Y Miño

Staying informed about trends in wellness, culture, and employee relations is essential for creating resilient, engaged, and productive teams. 

The impact of workplace wellness reaches beyond individual productivity; it influences overall organisational health, impacting employee retention, mental well-being, and job satisfaction. When companies prioritise wellness and foster positive cultures, they support employees’ holistic needs, promoting both physical and mental well-being, which in turn enhances innovation, performance, and loyalty.

Amid the rise of remote and hybrid work, employees now have different wellness needs that demand strategic shifts from traditional approaches. Burnout, mental health concerns, and the need for connection are pressing issues that leaders must understand to effectively support their teams. 

A positive work culture, one rooted in trust, accountability, and psychological safety, is no longer a “nice-to-have” but a business imperative. Modern organisations that build strong cultures not only improve team morale but also establish a solid foundation for resilience, adaptability, and growth in challenging times.

Employee relations is another critical aspect, emphasising respectful and open communication between leadership and staff. Informed leaders who actively foster positive employee relations can effectively respond to issues, engage employees more fully, and build a workplace that attracts and retains top talent. 

The books listed below represent some of the latest, most insightful resources on these topics. Each one offers practical, data-driven approaches to help leaders design a wellness-oriented, culturally enriching, and relationship-driven workplace. They present a set of tools and insights for leaders seeking to prioritise wellness, establish positive workplace cultures, and foster meaningful employee relations.

14 must read books on workplace wellness, positive culture, and employee relations

#1 Built for People

By Jessica Zwaan

Advocates for viewing employees as "customers" of the workplace experience, offering data-driven engagement strategies that center around people-focused approaches. This book is a valuable resource for HR professionals and leaders, demonstrating how to enhance workforce and business performance through people-centered practices, evidence-based decision-making, and a culture of continuous feedback and iteration. It offers practical guidelines for developing an agile, innovative, and data-driven approach to people operations.

#2 The Art of Caring Leadership

By Heather R. Younger

The book emphasises compassionate leadership by sharing strategies for building a workplace that is both supportive and motivating through empathy and active listening. The book features detailed interviews with over eighty leaders including, Howard Behar, former president of Starbucks; Judith Scimone, senior vice president and chief talent officer at MetLife; Garry Ridge, CEO and chairman of WD-40 Company; and Shawnté Cox Holland, head of culture and engagement at Vanguard. It outlines nine ways leaders can make all employees feel included and cared for.

#3 Wellbeing at Work

By Jim Clifton and Jim Harter

Authors Clifton and Harter examine the five essential pillars of workplace wellness—purpose, social, financial, community, and physical well-being—and introduces the Gallup Net Thriving metric to gauge employee wellness. The book also provides HR professionals and leaders with ideas and action items to help employees leverage their innate talents and strengths to thrive in each element of well-being. Additionally, it introduces a metric to report an individual's best possible life at work.

#4 Workplace Wellness That Works

By Laura Putnam

Presents a ten-step guide that empowers leaders as change agents to implement wellness strategies based on the strengths already existing within an organisation.

Here’s an interaction with Laura Putnam, in which she discusses how her book serves as a guide for the new world of work, highlighting the importance of health and well-being and encouraging companies to find creative ways to support employees in performing at their best.

#5 Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace

By Gill Hasson and Donna Butler

Serves as a practical guide offering strategies to foster a mental health-friendly workplace, encouraging resilience and providing tools to manage stress and anxiety. The book explores the importance of understanding mental health and its impact on businesses and employees. It covers why and how to promote mental health in the workplace, the need for an effective well-being strategy, and provides guidance on managing staff experiencing mental ill health, dealing with employee stress and anxiety, and resources for supporting employees facing mental health challenges.

#6 Remote Not Distant

By Gustavo Razzetti

This book addresses the challenges of hybrid and remote work, offering a five-step framework to promote inclusivity, collaboration, and a positive digital workspace. This book serves as a roadmap for understanding, adapting to, and thriving in today’s workplace, creating a culture so compelling that returning to the "old normal" feels undesirable. It covers the benefits and pitfalls of the "new normal" workplace, improving collaboration for a shared future, building a safer and more inclusive environment where people belong, collaborate, and innovate, resolving conflicts in new and courageous ways, and fostering positive behavior change to avoid burnout and boost productivity.

#7 The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety

By Timothy R. Clark

Clark's work provides a roadmap for leaders to foster environments where employees feel psychologically secure, supported, and ready to collaborate freely. The book explores four stages necessary for fostering a psychologically safe environment, helping leaders create spaces where employees feel they belong and can innovate.

#8 Work Better Together

Authored by Jen Fisher and Ahn Phillips

Illustrates the importance of relationships in fostering workplace wellness, with insights on how interpersonal connections enhance both individual and organisational success. This book covers essential topics like self-care—focusing on physical health, quality sleep, and taking time off—along with tapping into human skills such as empathy, authenticity, and communication. It emphasises using technology intentionally to strengthen relationships while breaking negative habits it may foster. Additionally, it highlights managing workplace relationships and fostering a culture of strong connections that drive collaboration. By addressing today’s employees' most urgent needs, it offers practical insights that benefit both individuals and organisations in measurable ways.

#9 The Employee Wellbeing Handbook

By Cassie Sobelton

This book on a collaborative approach to wellness, advocating for alignment across departments to ensure a comprehensive well-being culture. It covers the philosophies and foundations of workplace wellness, the differences between culture, wellness, and well-being, and offers tips for leading effective discussions on workplace well-being. Additionally, it provides strategies for designing workplace well-being initiatives and metrics to ensure their effectiveness.

#10 Irresistible: The Seven Secrets of the World’s Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Organisations

By Josh Bersin

This book shares principles from leading employee-centric organisations, demonstrating how a focus on purpose, development, and leadership fosters resilient, engaged teams. Josh offers a fresh perspective on organisational design, employee engagement, and development, with insightful examples from his global consulting work with HR and executive teams.

You may also like:

#11 The Culture Question

Authored by Randy Grieser, Eric Stutzman, Wendy Loewen, and Michael Labun

This book explores how leaders can build a positive workplace culture by fostering engagement, accountability, and trust through intentional, transparent practices. It addresses critical gaps in creating a workplace where people want to work, featuring a study of over 2,400 leaders and employees, along with resources to implement these ideas.

#12 Beating Burnout at Work

By Paula Davis

This book offers team-focused resilience strategies, equipping managers with tools to prevent burnout and maintain a balanced, engaged team. Drawing from her own experience with burnout, Paula shares simple, science-backed strategies for building cultures that promote well-being and resilience. The book also presents practical strategies from the Mayo Clinic, the U.S. Army, and trivago, offering a systemic approach to tackling burnout.

#13 Employee Experience by Design (2nd Edition)

By Emma Bridger and Belinda Gannaway

This comprehensive guide by authors Emma and Belinda offers a roadmap for creating an engaging employee experience (EX) from recruitment through development, with a focus on meeting employee needs and boosting retention. It presents a user-friendly framework that covers every aspect of EX, from company culture to people processes. Packed with tips, tools, and examples from leading-edge companies, it’s essential reading for anyone striving to build a healthy, high-performing workplace where people can thrive.

#14 Reimagining Workplace Well-Being: Fostering a Culture of Purpose, Connection, and Transcendence

By Dr Jessica Grossmeier

The book examines the impact of the global pandemic on employee well-being in the workplace, as many now feel burnt out, unfulfilled, and disconnected in the new work environment. It serves as a guide for HR professionals to evaluate the effectiveness of their well-being initiatives, identify priority areas for improvement, and review case studies that outline a holistic approach to well-being. Additionally, it provides strategies for engaging senior leaders, mid-level managers, and frontline employees, along with a blueprint for well-being efforts that deliver measurable business results. 

Related Posts:

Browse more in: