What does workplace wellbeing really look like when pressure rises?

In this episode of the mentl space, Scott Armstrong speaks with Paul Firth, Founder and Managing Director of Lyra Wellbeing MENA, about what 2026 has revealed so far about workplace culture, leadership, trust and mental health.

Recorded as part of the mentl awards 'Moving the Needle' series, the conversation explores how geopolitical tension, economic uncertainty, burnout, disengagement and always-on working are showing up inside organisations across the region.

Paul explains how well-being can no longer be treated as a side initiative, awareness campaign or optional benefit. Like health and safety, it has to become part of business strategy.

Together, Scott and Paul discuss:

• Why you do not build resilience in a crisis, you build it before the crisis
• How geopolitical uncertainty has affected employees, families and employers
• Why internal communication and trust matter before pressure hits
• What stronger organisations do differently during difficult periods
• Why well-being should not be seen simply as a cost to business
• The pressure now sitting on middle managers, and why they need support, training and boundaries
• How managers can spot subtle changes in people before problems escalate
• Why psychological safety is central to innovation, performance and trust
• How workplace well-being links to productivity, disengagement, safety and business performance
• What Paul saw as a mentl awards judge, and what stronger entries revealed
• Why simple, practical well-being actions can be more powerful than big-budget initiatives
• How organisations can use evidence, employee voice and storytelling to strengthen their wellbeing strategy
• Why Lyra Wellbeing MENA is backing the mentl awards for the second year running
• What employers should learn from the gap between tick-box wellbeing and a culture where support is lived

This is a conversation about moving beyond slogans and into practical workplace change.

Because when pressure rises, culture is tested. And when times are hard, poor leadership gets exposed quickly.

Chapter List:

00:00 Welcome to the mentl space

Scott opens the live conversation and introduces Paul Firth, Lyra Wellbeing MENA, the mentl awards and the question of what the first half of 2026 has taught workplaces.

01:29 Geopolitical tension, burnout and employee anxiety

Paul explains how conflict and uncertainty in the region have compounded existing workplace pressures, including stress, disengagement and burnout.

03:59 What organisations got right and wrong under pressure

Scott and Paul discuss how employers responded during the crisis, including remote working, business continuity, employee support and the risk of cutting well-being when it is needed most.

06:22 Why internal communication cannot wait for a crisis

Scott reflects on how organisations shifted from external to internal communication, and why stronger businesses had already built trust before the pressure hit.

08:18 You do not build resilience in a crisis

The conversation turns to resilience, business continuity, employee wellbeing and why culture has to be built before difficult moments arrive.

12:06 When pressure exposes poor leadership

Scott discusses how personal safety and workplace insecurity can exist at the same time, and why difficult periods reveal leadership weaknesses quickly.

14:26 Psychological safety, trust and employee voice

Paul explains why employees need to feel safe to raise concerns, challenge, suggest ideas and contribute to decisions without fear of humiliation.

17:26 Wellbeing as business strategy, not a cost

Paul argues that wellbeing should be treated like health and safety: part of the operating strategy, not a discretionary cost or benefit.

21:02 The middle management bottleneck

The discussion explores why managers carry pressure from above and below, why they are not proxy psychologists, and what support and training they need.

35:43 What the mentl awards entries reveal

Paul reflects on what stood out from judging the awards, including employee voice, culture, simple practical initiatives, evidence, passion and genuine belief in the work.

49:23 From tick-box wellbeing to a lived culture

Scott and Paul discuss the difference between low and high EAP engagement, why culture drives uptake, and what it means when well-being becomes part of every business decision.

53:21 AI, uncertainty and psychosocial risk

The conversation turns to AI-driven workforce anxiety, productivity pressure and the risk that technology simply creates more space for more work.

55:43 Why organisations should enter the mentl awards

Paul explains why organisations should share their well-being stories, why initiatives do not have to be huge, and why evidence and learning matter.