What Cemex shows manufacturing employers about wellbeing
In manufacturing, wellbeing can’t stop at hard hats and health checks. People bring financial pressure, mental health challenges, caring responsibilities and life-stage needs into work every day. This blog looks at what CEMEX is getting right by treating wellbeing as something people need to understand, trust and use. Not just something employers provide. From men’s mental health and menopause awareness to EAP engagement and everyday financial support, it explores how manufacturing employers can build more inclusive, practical wellbeing strategies that work in real life. Read on for lessons that turn wellbeing from a policy into meaningful employee value.
In a hurry? Here are our top three takeaways from our blog focusing on the highlights of our Cemex case study.
1. Wellbeing only creates value when people use it: Cemex shows that offering support isn’t enough. Employers need regular communication, leadership involvement and trust-building to turn awareness into engagement.
2. Manufacturing wellbeing needs to go beyond physical safety: Mental health, menopause, financial wellbeing, physical health and recognition are all connected. The strongest strategies support the whole person, not just isolated workplace issues.
3. Inclusive wellbeing depends on normalising difficult conversations: From men’s mental health to menopause awareness, Cemex demonstrates the importance of making support visible, involving leaders and creating a culture where people feel able to ask for help.
Got time to stick around? Let's dive a little deeper.
What manufacturing employers can learn about men’s mental health, menopause support and building a workplace where wellbeing actually works
For years, workplace wellbeing in manufacturing, construction and other traditionally male-dominated industries has often been viewed through a narrow lens.
- Physical safety? Absolutely.
- Mental health? Sometimes.
- Menopause support? Not usually part of the conversation.
That mindset is changing.
One of the most interesting things we're seeing emerge from employee wellbeing conversations is that the organisations achieving the greatest impact are treating wellbeing holistically. They're recognising that people don't experience life in neat workplace categories.
- Financial worries affect mental health.
- Caring responsibilities influence productivity.
- Menopause affects not only the person experiencing it, but often partners, family members and colleagues too.
This shift reflects a growing trend, with employers increasingly asking questions such as:
- How do you support men's mental health in manufacturing?
- What does effective menopause support look like at work?
- How do you increase Employee Assistance Programme uptake?
- How do organisations improve employee wellbeing in male-dominated industries?
- What workplace wellbeing initiatives actually drive engagement?
What's interesting is that these questions rarely sit in isolation. They all point towards a broader challenge: how do employers create an environment where people feel supported enough to use the help available to them?
A recent conversation with Cemex offered some valuable lessons.
The biggest wellbeing barrier isn't lack of support. It's lack of engagement.
Many organisations have invested heavily in wellbeing benefits, including:
- Employee Assistance Programmes
- Discount platforms
- Financial wellbeing support
- Healthcare resources
- Recognition programmes
Yet, in many cases, utilisation often remains lower than employers would hope.
Benefits engagement is a challenge we're seeing reflected not only in employee engagement research but also in the way AI search behaviour is evolving.
Employers are no longer searching for "what is employee wellbeing?" They're asking practical questions around engagement, uptake and outcomes. They want evidence, customer insight and real-world examples of what works.
The reality is that access alone doesn't create value. People need awareness, trust and relevance before they'll engage.
Cemex doesn’t treat wellbeing as a standalone initiative. It's embedded within a broader wellbeing strategy and reinforced through ongoing communication, leadership involvement and targeted awareness campaigns.
That's an important distinction.
Simply offering employee benefits to your workforce doesn’t improve wellbeing. Ensuring your people use what’s available to them does.
Employers spend millions each year on employee benefits, rewards and wellbeing support. Yet the value isn't created when a benefit is offered. It's created when employees actively use it and experience a positive outcome.
That's why organisations are increasingly looking beyond benefits provision and focusing on employee engagement, communication and measurable usage.
Why men's mental health deserves more attention in manufacturing
Many HR teams will recognise this challenge:
I employ mainly men. Why do I need an Employee Assistance Programme?
It's an outdated perspective, but one that still exists across some sectors.
Industries such as manufacturing, construction, logistics and engineering have traditionally been associated with cultures where people are expected to "get on with it". Conversations around mental health haven't always come naturally.
That's why the data from Cemex is particularly interesting. Among employees using their Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), 46% of identified cases involved male employees.
Rather than demonstrating a lack of need, it highlights the opposite. Men will access support when:
- They know it exists
- They understand its purpose
- Leaders actively encourage its use
- Stigma is reduced through visibility and conversation
The lesson isn't that manufacturing employees need different support. It's that they need organisations willing to normalise using it.
The unexpected wellbeing conversation manufacturing employers should be having
If there's one wellbeing topic that employers may not immediately associate with heavy industry, it's menopause.
Yet Cemex provides a powerful example of why that thinking is changing. Their leadership team actively participates in menopause awareness sessions, helping male leaders understand the realities faced by female colleagues and family members.
There's an important lesson here.
Effective workplace menopause support isn't solely a women's issue. It's a workplace issue. It's a leadership issue, and increasingly, it's a talent retention issue.
As more employers focus on retention, inclusion, and employee wellbeing, workplace menopause support is becoming a core element of modern wellbeing strategies. Employees increasingly expect their employer to recognise the impact menopause can have on health, confidence, performance and relationships at work.
What stands out from the Cemex case study isn't simply that they discuss menopause. It's that men are included in the conversation.
This approach recognises a fundamental truth: People support what they understand.
Building wellbeing around real life
The most effective workplace wellbeing initiatives recognise that people don't separate their wellbeing into categories. An employee worried about finances today may experience increased stress tomorrow and reduced engagement next month. That's why employee wellbeing, financial wellbeing and mental health support work best when they operate together rather than as standalone programmes.
One theme we talk about frequently at Pluxee is that wellbeing isn't one thing.
It's connected.
Mental health, financial wellbeing, physical health, recognition, and purpose - they all influence one another.
That's why some of the strongest wellbeing strategies don't focus on a single intervention. They create ecosystems of support.
At Cemex, wellbeing extends beyond mental health services to include financial wellbeing, physical wellbeing, and everyday savings that help employees get more from their money. Employees access discounts on essentials, cashback opportunities, gym savings and cycle schemes alongside wellbeing and support services.
This holistic approach matters because many of today's workplace challenges don't exist in isolation.
Financial pressure can increase stress and anxiety. Poor physical wellbeing can affect mental resilience. Lack of recognition can damage motivation and engagement.
The organisations seeing the greatest success increasingly recognise that supporting the whole person delivers better outcomes than addressing individual issues in isolation.
Why manager wellbeing support matters
Manager wellbeing support matters because one of the biggest contributors to wellbeing engagement isn't technology or policy. It's leadership behaviour.
Managers often determine whether employees feel comfortable discussing mental health, accessing support or participating in wellbeing initiatives.
At Cemex, male leaders are actively involved in menopause awareness conversations, helping create greater understanding and reduce stigma. That type of manager wellbeing support can play a significant role in normalising wellbeing discussions across the workforce.
When leaders engage, employees are more likely to engage too.
How to increase Employee Assistance Programme uptake
Visibility, accessibility, and normalising support-seeking behaviour are the most effective ways to increase uptake of the Employee Assistance Programme.
Many employers invest in an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) but struggle with uptake.
The challenge usually isn't the quality of the support available. It's awareness, trust and visibility.
Cemex doesn't position EAP as something that employees access only in a crisis. It's actively promoted through internal communications, manager conversations and wellbeing campaigns throughout the year.
Employees are reminded that support is available before problems escalate, and the results are telling. Between September 2024 and August 2025, 68% of people who accessed the EAP did so while still at work rather than when on sick leave.
That's an important distinction.
The most effective Employee Assistance Programmes don't just help people recover. They help people stay well.
What should employers do next?
Whether you already have a comprehensive suite of employee benefits in place or are just getting started, Cemex show us three fundamental steps to follow: making wellbeing visible, treating it holistically across money, health, and recognition, and focusing on usage over access.
1. Make wellbeing visible
Don't assume employees know what's available. Communicate regularly via multiple channels, especially when your workforce is spread across different locations, and a large number are deskless.
In these situations, reinforcing messages through leadership and managers is vital.
2. Treat wellbeing as holistic
Mental, financial and physical wellbeing are interconnected. Support should reflect how people experience life, not how benefits are categorised.
While mental health often dominates wellbeing conversations, organisations shouldn't overlook the role that recognition, rewards and employee benefits platforms can play in supporting everyday wellbeing. Feeling valued, recognised and supported financially all contribute to how employees experience work.
3. Focus on regular usage, not just access
Offering support is only the beginning.
Real value is created when employees actually engage with it and experience meaningful outcomes. This aligns directly with the broader shift towards measuring impact rather than simply providing benefits.
The future of workplace wellbeing
Perhaps the most important lesson from this story is that meaningful wellbeing support isn't about ticking boxes. It's about creating a culture where people feel able to use what's available, where male employees feel comfortable seeking support, where menopause conversations aren't awkward or avoided. Where financial wellbeing is recognised as part of your overall wellbeing strategy, and where leaders understand that wellbeing isn't an HR initiative.
It's a business strategy.
When people regularly experience value from the support provided — whether that's mental health support, financial savings, physical wellbeing programmes or recognition — everybody benefits.
Employees feel more supported. Organisations create healthier, more engaged workforces, and wellbeing becomes something people experience every day, rather than something that's simply offered.
Making effective wellbeing easier to deliver with Pluxee UK
Building a wellbeing strategy is one thing. Delivering it consistently across a large workforce is another.
One of the most striking aspects of the Cemex story is that this isn't a new initiative or a short-term wellbeing campaign. It's a partnership that has evolved over more than 13 years, adapting to changing employee needs while continuing to support the organisation's wider wellbeing goals.
Just as importantly, Cemex doesn't have to do it alone. From employee discounts and cashback to mental health support, cycle schemes and reward programmes, Pluxee helps remove the administrative burden so HR teams can focus on supporting their people rather than managing suppliers.
As one member of the Cemex team put it:
I don't even have to think about it, which is great when we're busy. It just gets done.
For employers looking to strengthen employee wellbeing, that's an important reminder.
Success isn't just about having the right wellbeing initiatives in place. It's about having the right partner behind them—one that makes it easier to turn great intentions into meaningful outcomes for employees, year after year.
FAQs
Why is men's mental health important in manufacturing?
Manufacturing remains one of the UK's most male-dominated sectors. Employers that actively promote mental health support can help reduce stigma, encourage help-seeking behaviour and improve overall employee wellbeing. The Cemex case study found that 46% of EAP cases were attributed to male employees, demonstrating that support is both needed and used.
How can employers support menopause in the workplace?
Workplace menopause support should combine awareness, education, inclusive policies and manager training. Employers can help by creating an environment where conversations about menopause are normal, understood and supported.
How do you improve employee engagement through wellbeing?
Employee engagement improves when wellbeing support addresses real-life challenges, including mental health, financial wellbeing, physical wellbeing and recognition. Communication and leadership involvement are equally important in driving engagement.
What wellbeing benefits do employees actually use?
The benefits employees value most are often those that make everyday life easier, including mental health support, financial wellbeing benefits, employee discounts, cashback programmes and health-related benefits. The key is ensuring employees understand and regularly use the support available.
How can employers increase Employee Assistance Programme uptake?
Employers can improve uptake of Employee Assistance Programmes through regular promotion, manager advocacy, leadership visibility, wellbeing campaigns, and clear communication about confidentiality and access. Organisations that integrate EAPs into wider wellbeing strategies are more likely to see meaningful engagement.
What employee wellbeing initiatives have the biggest impact?
The most effective employee wellbeing initiatives take a holistic approach, bringing together mental health support, financial wellbeing, physical wellbeing, employee benefits and recognition. Employers see the greatest impact when support becomes part of the everyday employee experience rather than a standalone HR initiative.
