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When people think about workplace culture, perks, policies or office traditions may come to mind. At Bupa, culture goes much deeper. It shapes how people experience work, how teams support one another and how we care for the customers, patients, residents and communities who rely on us every day.
At Bupa, high performance isn’t about continually asking people to do more. It’s about creating the conditions for people to do their best work, grow and make a meaningful difference, sustainably.
For Mason Gismondi, Bupa Head of Culture & Psychosocial Safety, that distinction matters. Drawing on his background in psychology and workplace rehabilitation, Mason’s work focuses on what helps people and teams thrive, and how Bupa can remove the barriers that get in their way.
“Culture is shaped by the everyday experience of work,” Mason explains. “When people have clarity, supportive systems and strong working relationships, they are better able to contribute, collaborate and perform at their best. Our focus is on strengthening those positive conditions while addressing the barriers that can make great work harder.”
Culture starts with clarity
Across Bupa, our people work in remarkably different environments, from clinics, care homes and customer support teams to health insurance, technology and corporate functions. We also deliver health services for Australian Defence Force personnel. A shared culture connects this breadth of experience, while giving teams the flexibility to bring it to life in ways that work locally.
For Mason, it starts with clarity.
“People are at their best when they understand the direction, how their work contributes and where they have the autonomy to act,” he says. “Culture isn’t only about individual effort. It is how we take personal accountability, collaborate around shared outcomes and keep learning and improving together.”
That means helping people understand what matters most, what success looks like, which decisions they own and how their work contributes to better outcomes for customers, patients, residents and communities. It also means equipping leaders to make expectations clear, invite different perspectives and support their teams to act.
Wellbeing isn't separate from performance
Bupa’s purpose is to help people live longer, healthier, happier lives and make a better world, and that commitment begins with our own people. Wellbeing is supported through benefits and programs, but it also needs to be reflected in the everyday experience and design of work.
The ambition is to embed it in how work is designed, led and experienced.
Through Bupa’s health and wellbeing program, support spans six wellbeing pillars: mental, physical, social, financial, digital and environmental wellbeing. Together, they recognise that people bring their whole selves to work and that wellbeing extends across different parts of life.
As Mason explains, wellbeing support is strongest when it is matched by thoughtful work design.
“Flexibility matters, and it works best when it is supported by clear priorities, realistic expectations and genuine trust,” he says. “People need to understand what they own, what success looks like and where they are empowered to decide and act.”
This is why Bupa’s focus extends beyond individual wellbeing initiatives to the everyday experience of work. We are strengthening the support available to leaders so they can clarify priorities, make thoughtful trade-offs, manage capacity and encourage people to raise questions, risks and ideas early.
High performance and wellbeing aren't competing ideas. If performance depends on people continually absorbing more pressure, it isn't sustainable
mason
head of culture and psychosocial safety
Equipping leaders to bring out the best in others
One theme appears consistently across Bupa's employee feedback: leaders make a difference.
Culture is shaped by everyone, but people leaders have a particular influence on the day-to-day experience of work. They help turn strategy into clear priorities, support development, respond to feedback and create space for honest, constructive conversations.
According to Mason, Bupa's approach starts with recognising that leadership capability cannot be assumed.
“Leaders can be one of the strongest positive influences on a person’s experience at work,” Mason says. “Our role is to equip them with practical tools, insight and support. Every team is different, so leaders need to make expectations meaningful for their people and their work.”
That flexibility matters across an organisation as diverse as Bupa. What helps a nurse thrive may differ from what supports a customer service consultant or technology specialist. The shared principles stay consistent, while teams have the opportunity to bring them to life in ways that reflect their work, customers and local context.
Caring isn't always about being nice
For Mason, care is not passive. Sometimes the most caring thing we can do is address an issue early, offer honest feedback or help someone learn from a mistake. For example, helping point out a simple mistake is caring, avoiding it so your colleague doesn’t feel bad seems nice, but in the long run can create more mistakes.
In a strong workplace culture, psychological safety does not mean avoiding difficult conversations. It means people can speak honestly, challenge respectfully, acknowledge mistakes and work together to improve.
“Care includes being honest with each other,” Mason says. “It means giving feedback respectfully, addressing issues rather than letting them grow and having constructive conversations in service of our people and customers.”
Offering feedback, challenging ideas and exploring better ways of working bring Bupa’s values of Brave, Caring and Responsible to life. These behaviours help teams learn, innovate, solve problems and continually improve experiences for customers, patients and residents.
“We should challenge respectfully and stay curious about how we can improve. That is what being Brave looks like in practice.”
Better outcomes for people and communities
At Bupa, culture is how purpose becomes visible in everyday work.
Creating a great place to work and achieving better outcomes are deeply connected. When people can contribute meaningfully, grow, perform sustainably and work effectively across boundaries, they are better positioned to make a difference for customers and communities.
“When we are clear on what matters, connected across Bupa and Brave enough to keep improving, we can create better experiences and outcomes for the people we serve,” Mason says
For an organisation with a purpose of helping people live longer, healthier, happier lives and making a better world, the connection between how our people experience work and how we serve our customers matters enormously.
And that may be the most important thing to understand about culture at Bupa. It isn't about expecting people to give more. It's about creating the conditions that allow them to do their best work, while looking after their wellbeing, their growth and their sense of purpose along the way.
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