What exactly are cultural signals? And why are they so essential for building wellbeing programs that work.

Imagine two workplaces.

In the first, the lights stay on long after dark. People keep typing, half-empty coffee cups beside them. When someone finally packs up at 8 p.m., their manager smiles and says, “That’s dedication.”

In the second, the office starts to empty at 5 p.m. The manager grabs their bag, says, “Good work today, go enjoy your evening,” and heads out the door.

These are cultural signals: the subtle, everyday actions that communicate what behavior is acceptable (and what isn’t) on a team. They are what define a company’s culture and, ultimately, its performance. And they’re the missing piece of most workplace wellbeing programs.

The Case Against Burnout Culture

Many of us hold an intuitive belief that the longer and harder we work, the more successful and productive we will be. We wear our long hours, busy schedules, and grey hairs as a badge of honor that symbolize our commitment to our success, and the success of our business. Business leaders model this behavior, and expect it from their teams.

However, countless research studies confirm that this type of “Hustle Culture” is actually “Burnout Culture,” and that, perhaps counterintuitively, the companies with a positive, wellbeing-driven culture are actually the ones with consistently higher productivity, profitability, customer loyalty, and lower turnover.

That’s because wellbeing isn’t just about feeling good. Wellbeing directly affects how people think, make decisions, and solve problems. When employees are rested, supported, and psychologically safe, they have more energy for deep work, greater capacity for collaboration, and higher resilience in the face of setbacks.

Why Cultural Signals Matter

Cultural signals are the most important part of the framework for creating a healthy, high-performing culture. When employees see their leaders setting healthy boundaries, taking time off, or encouraging balance, it sends a powerful message: this is how we work here. Over time, those repeated signals shape habits, expectations, and norms, turning wellbeing from a standalone initiative into a shared way of operating.

In contrast, when the unspoken rules reward overwork, people learn to ignore their limits to keep pace. That kind of culture may hit short-term targets, but it erodes trust, resilience, and creativity, which shows up in burnout, turnover, and lost potential.

How to Activate Cultural Signals Every Day

Most wellbeing programs don’t address cultural signals at all. They focus on on-off events, hyper-clinical initiatives (biometric screenings, flu shot clinics, etc.), or other siloed perks, without addressing the daily behaviors that shape how people actually think, feel, and act at work. Without those behavioral shifts, the culture stays the same, and any wellbeing program’s impact fades quickly. So how do you begin to activate positive cultural signals in your company?

Look Beyond the Benefits on Paper
Great benefits don’t change a culture on their own. Fair policies (like flexible schedules or mental health days) with leadership modeling and clear norms that make it safe for people to actually use them. Start by identifying the elements of your team’s work that generate the most stress, and design simple, targeted policies around those, like limiting work-related communications outside of work hours, or guaranteeing uninterrupted breaks.
Focus on Learning & Development
Provide training that helps employees and managers build the skills to notice, model, and reinforce healthy behaviors, like setting boundaries, managing stress, and fostering psychological safety. Team-based workshops are particularly effective, since they give employees a forum to learn these skills together and discuss how to apply them to daily worklife.
Encourage Real Stories and Modeling
Policies don’t change behavior. People do. When leaders and teams show what it looks like to take a real lunch break, block time for deep work, or set boundaries on after-hours communication, they make those actions safe for others to follow. When someone in your organization is modeling wellbeing, make it a practice to spotlight those stories to communicate that wellbeing isn’t just encouraged, it’s expected.
Organize Around Practical Monthly Themes
Anchor wellbeing programming in simple, relevant monthly themes so people can see concrete ways to integrate wellbeing into their daily work. Many organizations default to using holidays to guide their focus, which is a great start. At On the Goga, we take it a step further - combining health and cultural observances, new research, and employee interest into a ready-to-use annual calendar.
Celebrate the Small Things
Creating a culture of wellbeing happens mostly in the small, everyday moments. Build consistent practices to recognize these actions: a quick mention in a team meeting, a shout-out in a newsletter, or a Slack message that says, “Appreciated how you protected your focus time today.” When small actions are noticed and reinforced, they create a positive upward spiral.

Examples of Cultural Signals

Here are a few simple examples of cultural signals you could try in your workplace:

Reducing Burnout: Encourage employees to put at least one 30 minute lunch break on their calendars every day. Doing so normalizes breaks as part of productivity.
Increasing Connection: Begin meetings with a check-in question or pause for team members to reset. This signals that people, not just tasks, matter.
Normalizing Wellbeing: Add “culture spotlight” to newsletters or updates highlighting stories of wellbeing in your office. This reinforces behavior modeling and makes wellbeing part of daily work.

Scaling Cultural Signals Across the Organization

Cultural signals have the most impact when they are consistent and visible across teams. Start by piloting one or two key behaviors in a single team. Track what works. Gather real examples. Then expand those behaviors by incorporating them into manager guides, onboarding materials, or company-wide rituals.

Visual consistency helps too. Use icons, short taglines, or even emojis that signal wellbeing actions. A recurring graphic in a newsletter or meeting deck can serve as a mental cue. The goal is not to brand wellbeing but to embed it into everyday tools and habits.

Over time, these cultural signals shift perception. People stop asking whether they are allowed to care for their wellbeing. They assume that they are, because the culture reinforces it every day. That shift creates the conditions for lasting engagement, not just temporary interest.

Final Thought

If you want a workplace where wellbeing is truly supported, start by paying attention to your cultural signals. They are the small, subtle cues that tell people what is safe, what is valued, and what is expected. They are the habits and rituals that make care visible. When these signals are intentional, consistent, and modeled by leaders, they create a culture where wellbeing doesn’t need to be announced. It simply becomes part of how work gets done. Contact us today if you want help building wellbeing at work that yields real results.

Cultural Signals: The Heartbeat of a Resilient Wellbeing Culture