How to measure employee well-being: Measuring employee well-being
A validated scale, simple functional tests and a before/after design turn well-being into a number.
How do you measure employee well-being?
Employee well-being is measured by tracking three things together: self-reported well-being on a validated scale, physical capacity through simple functional tests, and participation. One survey or one number is not enough. The same measurement has to be repeated before and after a programme.
Our structure has two parts: the WHO-5 Well-Being Index and simple functional tests. The participation rate is reported too. Results reach the organisation as an anonymised, aggregated HR report.
What is the WHO-5 Well-Being Index?
WHO-5 is a short, five-item well-being scale associated with the World Health Organization. Respondents rate the past two weeks. The raw score runs from 0 to 25 and is multiplied by 4 to give a 0–100 score. A higher score means higher well-being.
It is free to use. WHO-5 is a screening and well-being measure, not a diagnosis. Anyone with a low score is pointed to a physician or a mental health professional.
UWES requires its authors' permission for commercial use; we obtain it before using it.
How is physical capacity measured?
The mental side belongs to psychologists. Our part is the measured physical side: how well employees move.
The test set is agreed with the organisation in advance. For example, a few simple tests of strength, balance, flexibility and endurance. No special equipment or lab is needed, and the tests can run in your own hall.
Participation is also a metric: how many started, how many finished. Low participation is a more honest warning than a good score.
KVKK and anonymised reporting
Participation is voluntary. Individual data is not shared with the employer. The organisation sees only anonymised, aggregated results.
How does the Measured Pilot work?
Baseline measurement
Volunteer employees complete the WHO-5 and take simple functional tests. This is the organisation's starting point.
Six-week programme
Seminar and practice on movement, recovery and energy management, built on the baseline data.
Re-measurement
The same scale and tests are repeated. The before/after difference and participation rate are read together.
Anonymised HR report
Aggregated results are presented to management. The report states what changed, what did not, and the next step.
Frequently asked questions
Which scale is used to measure employee well-being?
ME uses the WHO-5 Well-Being Index. It has five items, is free to use and gives a score from 0 to 100.
How is the WHO-5 score calculated?
The five item scores are added to give a raw score of 0–25. That score is multiplied by 4 to give a 0–100 score.
Is WHO-5 a diagnostic tool?
No. It is a screening and well-being measure. A low score is a signal to talk to a professional, not a diagnosis.
Does the employer see individual results?
No. Participation is voluntary and individual data is not shared with the employer. The organisation receives only an anonymised, aggregated report.
Do you use UWES?
UWES requires its authors' permission for commercial use, so we do not use it without that permission. WHO-5 is free to use.
Measure first, then decide
Tell us the size of your organisation and your goal. We will define the scope of the Measured Pilot together.