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You mentioned that franchisees can feel isolated despite operational support. How can franchisors address this? Leaders are often focused on sales and marketing, which is understandable, but if someone is anxious, burnt out or lacking in confidence, even the best training won’t make them perform as well as they can in these areas. They need to first be well and thriving as individuals for high performance to follow. Mental wellbeing is such a unique area, so I really believe there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s more about giving everyone – whether they be a franchisee or franchisor – the tools and knowledge to support themselves in a way that works for them. There’s also a huge disparity when it comes to first aid. Brands are quick to provide physical first aid training, but mental health first aid often gets overlooked. If someone’s struggling mentally, they need support just like they would for a physical injury. This needs to be seen as a necessity, not just a bonus. What are some of the unique mental health challenges faced by franchisees? Franchising is often sold as ‘being in business for yourself, but not by yourself.’While that’s true in many ways, the day-to-day reality can feel incredibly lonely for some. Despite the operational support offered by franchisors, many franchisees work long hours, make big decisions alone, and have limited immediate support. That isolation takes its toll. Within a franchise network, it’s incredibly easy for comparison to kick in, and with that comes negative thoughts – including self-doubt and poor self-confidence, both of which are hugely impactful to a business owner’s success. How does workplace happiness impact customer experience? The impact on the customer varies across different sectors, but in the care sector, for example, the client’s satisfaction of their care is most impacted by the stress and satisfaction levels of the care co-ordinator. This is a perfect example of the ripple effect that poor mental health can have throughout businesses. If you consider how much mental struggles can impact someone’s thoughts, feelings, behaviours, physical health and presence and performance at work, it’s impossible to deny a direct correlation between mental health and business health. How do recruitment challenges impact mental health in franchising? Poor mental health is thought to cost the UK economy over £100 billion outside of the NHS, with over 300,000 people leaving their roles each year citing poor mental health . Losing, recruiting and training staff cost businesses money, time, experience, knowledge and performance. Key considerations for any business are retention and peak performance, both of which are driven by ensuring that your workforce is thriving. We know that investing in mental health at work increases productivity while leading to decreased rates of work-related stress, increased employee engagement and satisfaction, and reduced costs associated with absenteeism and presenteeism. What signs should leaders look out for? Franchisees not re-signing after their term – or even walking away mid-contract – often stems from feelings of burnout, anxiety, and overwhelm.When the pressure becomes too much, they may reach a point where they simply can’t continue. To prevent this scenario, franchisors should approach signs of disengagement, poor performance, and dissatisfaction with empathy. If your franchisees or employees start to withdraw from activities, show less initiative, or resist change, it might signal that they feel overwhelmed or undervalued. Similarly, frequent absences or a steady decline in productivity and work quality can point to deeper challenges affecting their wellbeing. WHY ITMATTERS 1 in 4 people experience a mental health problem of some kind each year in England alone. 41% o f employees cite financial pressure as their top external stressor 45% feel uncomfortable discussing mental health concerns with their manager 177,000 of people behind these statistics are currently employed in franchising These keyworkplace mental health statistics highlight the challenges employees face and the opportunities for organisations to foster positive mental health 37 WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM Ana lys i s | FEATURE