Common mistakes in QVT policies… and how to avoid them

Apr 07, 2025Charles Piedboeuf0 comments

🌱 Introduction: QVT, a fashionable word… misunderstood?

Quality of Life at Work. Three words that sound fantastic on paper, that find their way into every HR plan, but which, if poorly applied, can become empty shells.

Worse: some QVT policies have the opposite effect of what they promise.

Why? Because QWL cannot be improvised. It is a strategic lever that must be anchored in the daily reality of employees.

Here are the 6 most common mistakes in QVT policies, and above all: how to avoid them.

❌ Mistake #1: Confusing QVT and table football

Many companies still associate QVT with “nice” actions: ping-pong table, nap room, candy basket, etc.

The problem: These initiatives, if they are not part of an overall strategy, can appear superficial, even hypocritical.

Employees' feelings: "They offer me a banana, but they ask me to work until 9 p.m."

✅ The solution:

Integrate employees into the definition of QVT (via surveys, workshops, field feedback).
Evaluate the real daily irritants (mental load, schedules, recognition, tools, etc.).

Well-being is not a decoration, it is a dynamic.

❌ Mistake #2: Imposing a top-down vision

Too often, QVT decisions are made solely by management or HR, without co-construction.

Result: actions disconnected from real expectations.

Example: A meditation app offered to all, while 70% of teams are asking for… more flexible hours.

✅ The solution:

Co-construct the QVT policy with managers and employees.
Adopt an iterative logic: test, adjust, evolve.
Appoint internal well-being ambassadors in each department.

An effective QVT is a living, co-piloted QVT.

❌ Mistake #3: Not training managers

Managers are often the primary drivers of quality... or suffering at work. Yet, they are rarely trained in QWL issues.

The result: a business strategy contradicted by rigid or ill-adapted managerial behaviors.

✅ The solution:

Train managers in caring management , active listening , and prevention of psychosocial risks .
Include them in QVT actions (not just as performers).
Provide them with concrete tools to bring team life to life differently.

Without managers, QVT cannot stand.

❌ Mistake #4: Forgetting to measure the effects

Implementing actions is good. Knowing if they work is better. Many companies don't evaluate the real impact of their QWL policies.

The danger: investing time and money in actions that do not meet needs.

✅ The solution:

Implement QVT indicators (absenteeism, commitment, satisfaction, feeling of recognition, etc.).
Use regular anonymous barometers (e.g. quarterly).
Cross-reference HR data and qualitative feedback to refine actions.

What is not measured...is not improved.

❌ Mistake #5: Neglecting internal communication

A QVT policy can be very well thought out, but if it is poorly communicated, it will go unnoticed... or be misunderstood.

Example: A company sets up a wellness budget, but no one knows how to benefit from it.

✅ The solution:

Create communication rituals around QVT (posters, emails, team meetings).
Highlight internal success stories .
Be transparent about what is happening, what is evolving, what is stuck.

Transparency creates trust. Trust creates buy-in.

❌ Mistake #6: Targeting only “visible problems”

QVT is not just about correcting burnouts. It is also about preventing , engaging , and giving meaning .

What we often forget:

Loneliness at work
The misalignment of values
Lack of recognition
The lack of meaning in missions

✅ The solution:

Create spaces for discussion (managers' cafés, informal interviews, discussion circles, etc.).
Include actions on diet , physical activity , mental health , and community engagement .
Regularly ask the question: “What would make you feel good here?”

QVT isn't about turning off the lights. It's about restarting the engines.