The way organisations care for their people is changing — and so are the legal expectations. With the introduction of ESRS-S1 (European Sustainability Reporting Standard – Own Workforce) under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), companies must now report transparently on their workforce’s well-being, working conditions, and development.
For many HR and sustainability teams, ESRS-S1 compliance is a new requirement. But with the right employee well-being trainings, it can also be a powerful opportunity to build resilient workplaces and show genuine care for the people who drive your organisation forward.
What is ESRS-S1 compliance?
ESRS-S1 is a social reporting standard required by the CSRD. It focuses on the organisation’s own workforce, demanding both policies and measurable outcomes in areas such as:
- Health and safety, including psychosocial risks like stress and burnout
- Training and skills development (e.g. number of training hours per employee)
- Work-life balance and the right to disconnect
- Equal opportunities, inclusion, and diversity
- Employee engagement, retention, and participation
You must go beyond good intentions: you need clear data, evidence of impact, and real improvement.
Read the CSRD/ESRS-S1 directive on EUR-Lex.
Why ESRS-S1 compliance matters now for companies
Reporting under ESRS-S1 is being phased in fast. Businesses that wait risk scrambling to gather data, design programmes, or demonstrate impact at the last minute. Key deadlines include:
- Already reporting: Large public-interest companies with >500 employees FY 2024 (reports due 2025)
- Next wave: All large EU companies (e.g. >250 employees or meeting financial thresholds) FY 2025 (reports due 2026)
- SMEs & non-EU companies: Listed SMEs and non-EU companies with significant EU operations From FY 2026 / FY 2028
If your organisation has over 250 employees, or meets turnover/assets criteria, you will very soon need reliable systems to measure and report on workforce well-being, training hours, inclusion, and other ESRS-S1 indicators.
From compliance to culture: why employee well-being trainings add real value
Brussels Mindfulness believes that compliance need not be a burdensome task. With well-designed programmes, ESRS-S1 compliance becomes part of a people-centred culture. Through resilience, mindfulness, and well-being trainings, organisations gain:
- Measurable training hours and feedback for ESRS-S1 disclosures
- Reduced psychosocial risks such as stress, burnout, disengagement
- Stronger employee focus, resilience, and retention
- Cultivation of inclusive, respectful workplace culture
- Demonstrable action on work-life balance, equal opportunities, and well-being
This dual approach creates a win-win: credible data for compliance and healthier, motivated teams who perform better over the long term.
How our trainings align with ESRS-S1 workforce reporting
At Brussels Mindfulness, our programmes map directly onto ESRS-S1 requirements. Clients benefit from structured, evidence-based workshops and coaching. We have already worked with over 250 organisations, including the European Commission, Amazon, Ikea, NATO, and Brussels Airlines.
Here are examples of how training themes link to ESRS-S1 metrics:
- Stress, Focus & Energy Health & safety: psychosocial risk management; number of training hours
- Emotional Resilience & Inner Well-being: Well-being; work-life balance disclosures
- Communication & Leadership Equal treatment: inclusion; respectful workplace culture
- Mindset & Mental Strength Employee development: resilience; skills growth
Each programme delivers attendance records, participant feedback, and outcomes that can be included in sustainability reports.
To see how mindfulness practices can further support employees’ well-being, explore our Well-being and resilience offering.
Why choose Brussels Mindfulness?
Partnering with us means more than selecting a training provider. We bring:
- Deep expertise in resilience, mindfulness, and burnout prevention
- Science-based methodologies grounded in psychology and neuroscience
- Fully certified and highly experienced trainers, each with many years of corporate and international work
- Proven results with over 250 organisations across sectors
- Flexible and multilingual delivery: online or in-person; in English, French, German, Dutch
We are uniquely equipped to help your organisation not only implement well-being initiatives but also measure, report, and maintain them to satisfy ESRS-S1 compliance with confidence.
What to do next
If your organisation is preparing for ESRS-S1 reporting under CSRD, the time to act is now. Here are the steps to get started:
- Assess your current workforce well-being programmes and data collection systems
- Identify gaps in reporting on health and safety, training hours, work-life balance, inclusion, retention
- Choose well-being trainings that deliver both impact and measurable outcomes
- Integrate the data you collect from these programmes into your sustainability reports
Curious how we can support your organisation’s ESRS-S1 compliance? Book a free discovery call to find the right training plan for your people and your compliance obligations.
