Sally Wilson

Principal Research Fellow

BSc, PhD, FRSA

Sally has more than twenty years’ experience of conducting applied research in workplace health and wellbeing. Her specialisms include occupational health and safety, mental health and disability.

Within IES, Sally has worked with a wide range of clients including those in government departments and agencies (eg the Ministry of Defence, DCMS, the Home Office, the Cabinet Office, HSE, the Food Standards Agency, Public Health England), local government (eg WECA, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea) and charities (eg Mind, Macmillan Cancer Support). In a European context she has managed research projects on occupational health for EU-OSHA, EASME (an agency of the European Commission) and the European Cancer Patient Coalition. She has also worked on projects in a health services delivery context on topics such as paramedic training and recruitment and health coaching.

Sally has a background in behavioural and health sciences having completed a PhD in neuropsychology at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit in Cambridge. Much of her recent work has focussed on workplace mental wellbeing and interventions to upskill line managers in sectors such as rail transport, construction and first-response workers. She has an interest in behavioural insights and was co-developer of the government’s ‘ORGANISER’ model of employer behaviour and is currently working with the Rail Safety and Standards Board to develop guidance around workplace health behaviours which can impact on long-term health.

Her expertise extends to quality of work, work-life balance and working while caring. She recently project-managed a large evaluation of a national pilot (funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, DWP and the Government Equalities Office) looking at local community, health, and employer interventions to support informal carers who also work, and appeared in front of the Work and Pensions Select Committee to report the findings.

Before joining IES Sally worked at the Health and Safety Laboratory (part of the Health and Safety Executive) and at the Sheffield Institute for Studies on Ageing, as well as the Age and Cognitive Performance Research Centre at the University of Manchester.

Education

1999 University of Cambridge, MRC Cognition and
Brain Sciences Unit
PhD
1994 University of Nottingham BSc, Psychology

Career

2004‑2006 Research Fellow, Sheffield Institute for Studies on Ageing, University of Sheffield
1999‑2004 Senior Psychologist, Health and Safety Laboratory

 

CV Details

Improving employer support for those working with cancer: The Bevan report

Independent evaluation of the Workplace Health Champion project

Evaluation of Thrive at Work West of England programme

Wellbeing through job design

Effective implementation of behaviour change techniques to influence health in the rail environment

Shaping the rail environment to encourage healthy behaviours

Development of an EU framework to assess the overall impacts of occupational health and safety (OSH) prevention on the performance of construction enterprises

Understanding the conditions for successful mental health training for managers

Employment support for people with epilepsy

Understanding the conditions for successful mental health training for managers

Understanding the conditions for successful mental health training for managers

Exploring wellbeing and mental health and associated support services for postgraduate researchers

Slides: Managing mental wellbeing in a research environment: some lessons from other sectors

Evaluation of the Carers in Employment (CiE) Project: Final report

Evaluation of the Carers in Employment (CiE) Project: Methodological details and tabular findings

Evaluation of Mind's Blue Light Programme

Understanding the Behavioural Drivers of Organisational Decision-Making

The effectiveness and cost effectiveness of methods of protecting and promoting the health of older workers

Review of successful Occupational Safety and Health benchmarking initiatives

The Case for Health Coaching

Evidence Review on Regulation Culture and Behaviours

Slides: Introduction to resilience

Understanding Resilience

Evaluation of the HSE worker involvement training courses

Quality of Work: How does it matter in Europe?

Healthy Youth Centre Pilot Project

Scoping the Development of Work and Cancer Support for SMEs

Achieving Change Using the Supply Chain Model in Construction

Evidence Review on Regulation Culture and Behaviours

Moving Goods Safely 3

Managing Stress and Sickness Absence

Organisational Responses to the HSE Management Standards for Work-related Stress

Workplace Health Connect: July 2007 Progress Report

An Evaluation of the Local Authority Programme Joint Authorisation Pilot Project

Workplace Health Connect: January 2007 Progress Report

ICT Strategy, Disabled People and Employment in the UK

NIHR - Supporting healthy lifestyles among young adults in the workplace

Working With Cancer - employer survey

Inclusive Economy Partnership (IEP) Mental Health Workstream - HR Best Practice Support

Qualitative research to identify what good employment support for people with epilepsy should look like

Understanding the conditions for successful mental health training for managers

Development of an EU framework to assess the overall impacts of occupational health and safety prevention on the performance of construction enterprises

Understanding of mental health and wellbeing in the UK postgraduate research population

Estimating the benefits of moving an individual from unemployment into sustainable employment - expert adviser

Evaluation of Mind's Workplace Wellbeing Index

Evaluation of the Carers' Employment Pilot: supporting carers to remain in employment

Evaluation of Mind's Blue Light programme

Understanding the Behavioural Drivers of Organisational Decision Making

Review of Successful OSH Benchmarking Initiatives

Seminars on long-term sickness absence, on behalf of Eversheds

Evaluation of Napo for Teachers

Review and synthesis of the regulations, cultures and behaviours evidence underlying compliance with food safety regulations

Feasibility Study: Online occupational safety and health (OSH) tools

Examination of the Evidence for Preparing, Sustaining and Enhancing Psychological and Physical Well-Being – Psychological Resilience

EU-OSHA website content review: Phase 2

Ex-post evaluation of the ESENER survey

Qualitative post-test on the European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks (ESENER)

EU-OSHA comic strips and captures evaluation

Scoping the development of work and cancer support for SMEs

Impact of EU-OSHA's Sponsorship of Healthy Workplaces Film Award

EU-OSHA web content review

Promoting the Health and Well-being of Young People

European Safety and Health Strategy evaluation

Evaluation of an Occupational Health Helpline for SMEs

Evaluation of Risk Management in Construction

Evaluation of Occupational Health Provision on the Olympic Park

Provision of an Evidence Review on Regulation Cultures and Behaviours

Moving Goods Safely: an Evaluation of Success

Mental Health and Employment

Early Mediation in Occupational Health

  • Member of Education Support Partnership's educator wellbeing research steering group (2018 - 2018)
  • Member of supervisory board for University of Manchester project on wellbeing and mental health of postgraduate researchers (2018 - Present)
  • Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (2018 - Present)
  • Expert witness to Work and Pensions Select Committee evidence session on support for carers (2018 - 2018)
  • Specialist Advisor to Working Age Dementia Study, Public Health England (2015 - 2016)
  • Member of advisory committee for Nuffield Foundation funded research on Lone Parents, Mental Health and Employment (2011 - 2011)
  • Behavioural Specialist for Foods Standards Agency’s Register of Specialists (2018 - Present)
  • Peer Review for NIHR, PRP - Stage 2 - NIHR202998 - Supporting employers to narrow disability employment and pay gaps in the UK (2021 - 2021)

BMC Public Health Journal, 17 December 2025, BMC Public Health Journal, 17 December 2025

Workplace culture can be the root cause of many health issues, The UK health gap: part three, reba, 18 November 2025

What do employees value more than a Christmas turkey? Wilson S, Employee Benefits, December 2021

Disability discrimination: why HR needs to better understand epilepsy, Wilson S, HRZone, [online], July 2019

How to create good work for people with hidden disabilities: epilepsy in the workplace, Wilson S, The RSA, [online], June 2019

Epilepsy and transitions into employment, Wilson S, Luminate, [online], June 2019

Good mental wellbeing is good for business, Wilson S, Employee Benefits, , [Online], March 2019

Simple nudges can encourage employees to look after their own health and wellbeing, Wilson S, Employee Benefits, [Online], November 2017

How to train line managers to support mental wellbeing, Wilson S, TrainingZone, [Online], January 2017

Viewpoint: Building a support act, Wilson S, Early intervention is a critical factor in offering effective rehabilitation support, Employee Benefits, Employee Benefits Magazine, November 2016

Tax breaks for healthy lifestyles, Wilson S, Society Central, November 2014

School is not the only place for sex and relationship guidance, Wilson S, The Guardian, December 2012

How to support line managers in dealing with mental health, Wilson S, Occupational Health, June 2012

Preventing and managing stress, Wilson S, Edge, February 2012

Achieving the right balance Wilson S, Occupational Health, March 2011

Dealing with stress-related absence, Wilson S, The Guardian, November 2010

ICT strategy, disabled people and employment in the UK, Wilson S, Meager N, Hill D, Fossestol K (ed.), Stairway to Heaven?, Fafo/Work Research Institute (AFI/FAFO), Norway, January 2008

Parliamentary Social Security and Workforce Hub

Parliamentary Social Security and Workforce Hub, 26 February 2026

IES Annual Conference 2025

Advisory Group Panel for NIHR funded evaluation

The Good Work for Young People’s Mental Health programme, NIHR School for Public Health Research, 4 September 2025

Mental health in the workplace: strengthening employment rights and tackling the drivers of work-related mental ill-health

Public Policy Exchange webinar, Public Policy Exchange, 24 July 2025

Working With Dementia Network Plus Stakeholder Advisory Group Meeting

Working With Dementia Network Plus Stakeholder Advisory Group, Working with Dementia Network Plus, 23 July 2025

Roundtable on Disability and Employment

Resolution Foundation Roundtable on Disability and Employment, Resolution Foundation, 12 June 2025

Government Work and Health External Advisory Group Roundtable

Keep Britain Working Review, Gov.uk, 19 May 2025

Dementia Network Plus

Advisory Group member, Alzheimer Scotland Centre for Policy and Practice, 01 December 2024

Addressing burnout to build sustainable careers and prosperity for all

Wilson S, National Institute for Career Education and Counselling (NICEC) Conference 2024, 02 July 2024

Health and wellbeing at work - evidence, key issues and priorities going forward

Wilson S, Health and wellbeing in the workplace - Westminster Employment Forum, 02 June 2024

Understanding Needs and Co-Developing a Workplace Intervention to Support Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours in Young Adults

Health and wellbeing at work conference 2024, 12 March 2024

Understanding Needs and Co-Developing a Workplace Intervention to Support Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours in Young Adults

Wilson S, Health and wellbeing at work conference 2024, 12 March 2024

Ways for businesses and policy makers to improve quality of work in London and sectors to target, and Londoners’ satisfaction with a leisure time

Wilson S, What influences Londoners’ wellbeing and what can help?, Queen Mary University of London, 9 November 2023

In-work poverty and mental health

Wilson S, MIND policy roundtable, 6th November 2023

Findings from the RSSB project

Wilson S, Mental Health and Wellbeing Thought Leadership Forum, January 2020

An RCT to understand the elements of successful mental health training for managers

Wilson S, Division of Occupational Psychology Annual Conference, January 2020

Controlling risks & promoting mental health at work

Wilson S, Certificate in Managing Mental Health at Work Conference, The At Work Partnership and Department of Clinical Sciences at Brunel University, London, June 2019

Contributor to educator wellbeing research steering group meeting

Wilson S, Education Support Partnership, Education Support Partnership, London, December 2018

Organisational intelligence

Wilson S, The At Work Partnership seminar: Managing long-term sickness absence: a biopsychosocial approach, The At Work Partnership, London, December 2018

Practicable and implementable policy insights on the care economy

Wilson S, Bjørnholt M, Apolitical webinar: The Care Economy, Apolitical, [Online], October 2018

Discussant on informal care economy

Wilson S, Demos roundtable on the informal care economy, Demos, London, July 2018

Roundtable contributor

Wilson S, Social Market Foundation roundtable on the role of family in providing care, Social Market Foundation, London, April 2018

Managing mental wellbeing in a research environment: some lessons from other sectors

Wilson S, Vitae conference: Preparing researchers for an unknown future: Cultures, behaviours and mindsets, Vitae, Birmingham, January 2018

Exploring the wellbeing, mental health and retention of postgraduate researchers

Wilson S, Vitae Researcher Development International Conference 2017, Vitae, Birmingham, September 2017

Finding the Right Balance, What Works for Working Carers

Wilson S, Long Term Conditions: Health at work conference 2017, Sterling Events, Birmingham, March 2017

Organisational responses to mental health

Wilson S, Mental Health at work, The @ Work Partnership, London, February 2017

Long-term sickness absence: why it matters and what can be done

Wilson S, Long-term sickness absence: Employee, employer and the State, Eversheds, Leeds, November 2014

Evidence Review for Preparing, Sustaining and Enhancing Psychological Resilience in the UK Armed Forces

Wilson S, 3rd Military Psychological Well-Being Conference 2014: The Psychological Well-being of the Military in Transition, The British Psychological Society (Wessex Branch), Shrivenham, November 2014

Panel discussion: Targetted occupational health issues including stress, rehabilitation and gender related issues

Wilson S, Pushing health up the workplace agenda, British Safety Council, London, October 2014

Quality of working life and wellbeing in an era of austerity and underemployment: A UK perspective

Wilson S, Qualite de vie au travail, Entreprise & Personnel, Paris, February 2013

Occupational health and workability

Wilson S, Age Management in a Maturing Workforce 'Fine wine in old bottles', RoSPA and TAEN - The Age Management and Employment Network, Birmingham, June 2010

Achieving Change Using the Supply Chain Model in Construction

Wilson S, HSE Seminar: Tackling Health Issues in Construction - the Supply Chain Model, Health Risk Management Unit, Construction Division, HSE, London, June 2010

Health and employment: an employer perspective

Aston J, Wilson S, 17th UKPHA Annual Public Health Forum, UKPHA, London, March 2009

Mental health issues at work: recent interventions and implications for employers and policy makers

Wilson S, Lucy D, IES 40th Anniversary Work and Well-being seminar, IES, London, October 2008