Building a Culture That Works: How Furthr Is Redefining Workplace Wellbeing
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
In an era where workplace wellbeing is often reduced to perks and policies, Furthr is taking a fundamentally different approach one that embeds health, trust, and collective responsibility into the everyday fabric of work.
We are thrilled to announce following a recent Healthy Ireland pilot scheme, Furthr and the Guinness Enterprise Centre has achieved official accreditation as a Healthy Workplace for its workplace culture an acknowledgement that goes far beyond surface-level initiatives. With 23 workplaces awarded, this recognition reflects a deeper shift: wellbeing is not treated as a standalone programme, but as a core operational principle shaping how the organisation functions at every level.
A National Standard for Workplace Wellbeing
Furthr’s recognition sits within a broader national effort led by the Department of Health. The Healthy Ireland – Healthy Workplaces Programme is a government-backed initiative designed to help organisations build sustainable, evidence-based approaches to employee wellbeing.
Workplaces that achieve this accreditation have demonstrated a strategic and evidence-informed commitment to employee health, embedding wellbeing into how the organisation operates, not just what it offers.
The programme itself runs over a structured period (typically 12–18 months), supporting organisations through training, expert consultation, and implementation of targeted wellbeing strategies.
Crucially, it is built around five core pillars:
Leadership
Assessment
Planning
Implementation
Evaluation
This reflects a shift from ad hoc initiatives to systematic, organisation-wide change.
Moving Beyond Tick-Box Wellbeing
Traditional workplace wellbeing programmes often exist in isolation separate from the realities of day-to-day work. The Healthy Workplace Framework challenges this by emphasising culture change, leadership commitment, and active staff engagement as central to success.
At Furthr, this philosophy is already deeply embedded. The organisation operates as a lean, high-trust, and collaborative team, where collective accountability drives results and psychological safety ensures every voice is valued.
Rather than assigning wellbeing to a single function, Furthr has created an environment where it is shared across the organisation a principle that directly aligns with the national framework’s emphasis on whole-organisation responsibility.
A Collective Approach to Workplace Health
One of the standout outcomes of Furthr’s participation in the programme was receiving a special commendation for Excellence in Integrated Wellbeing. This recognition highlights how wellbeing is not treated as a standalone initiative, but is deeply embedded within the organisation’s culture, with clear integration across roles and functions.
Furthr demonstrated a strong understanding of how their individual contributions support the wellbeing of others, creating a shared sense of responsibility and collective ownership across the team.
Together, these elements reflect a mature and fully embedded approach to the Healthy Workplaces Framework one where wellbeing is an integral part of how the organisation operates, not an add-on to it.
This aligns with national policy thinking. The Department of Health highlights that workplaces are “ideal settings for promoting employee health and wellbeing”, given the significant amount of time people spend at work.
But the most effective workplaces go further. They:
Embed wellbeing into culture, not just initiatives
Create environments that support both physical and mental health
Enable employees to manage the challenges of work and life
Furthr’s approach demonstrates how this can be achieved in practice.
Why This Matters for Ireland’s Startup Ecosystem
Furthr’s impact extends far beyond its own team. As an organisation supporting Irish startups through funding, mentorship, and innovation programmes, it plays a key role in shaping the next generation of companies.
That makes this recognition particularly significant.
By embedding wellbeing into its own operations, Furthr is:
Setting a benchmark for early-stage companies
Demonstrating that high performance and employee welfare go hand-in-hand
Reinforcing national priorities around sustainable, healthy workplaces
This is especially relevant as Ireland continues to implement its Healthy Workplace Framework, which aims to create environments where employees can thrive and contribute to broader societal wellbeing.
A More Mature Model of Work
Ultimately, Furthr’s accreditation signals something broader than a successful pilot. It reflects a shift towards a more mature organisational model, one that mirrors the ambitions of Ireland’s national wellbeing strategy.
It’s a model where:
Wellbeing is embedded, not added on
Culture is intentionally designed, not assumed
People are central to performance, not separate from it
As Minister Jennifer Murnane O’Connor noted when recognising participating organisations, creating healthy workplaces is not just good for employees - it contributes to Ireland’s wider public health and sustainability goals.
Furthr’s achievement shows what’s possible when organisations take that responsibility seriously.
Looking Ahead
As more organisations across Ireland move from policy to practice, we’re incredibly proud to see Furthr recognised as a leading example of what “good” really looks like where wellbeing is not a programme, but a system; not an initiative, but a culture.
A special acknowledgement goes to our HR team, Paula Finnan, HR Director, and Lisa Doyle, HR Operations Executive, who are tirelessly committed to supporting our people and embedding these values across the organisation.
We also extend our thanks to the Employee Resource Group of the Culture Forum, whose ongoing commitment and contributions have been instrumental in fostering a positive and inclusive workplace culture.
We’re excited about what this means not just for our team, but for the wider ecosystem, and we look forward to continuing to build a workplace where people can truly thrive.
Full Press Release: Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy congratulates workplaces involved in the first phase of the Healthy Workplace Programme
