Multi-academy trusts are under more pressure than ever to improve employee wellbeing. From payroll glitches to patchy comms and unclear career paths, these day-to-day friction points are driving people out. Which is why, in this article, we explore how MATs can help protect employee wellbeing and rebuild trust where it matters most.
At the start of the year, we surveyed over 490 HR professionals to understand how organisations are experiencing the current economic pressures in the UK. As expected, a significant 39.6% said they were feeling the impact of the economic climate in real and lasting ways.
More interestingly, when we zoomed in on different sectors, education (50%) and public sector (54%) were two of the top five industries most affected. Whether it’s the emotional toll of financial uncertainty or the increased pressure from under-resourced teams, it’s clear that a ripple effect is clearly being felt across multi-academy trusts (MATs) – in classrooms, offices, and corridors alike.
So, if the pressure is rising for both employers and employees, how do you build a culture that supports staff in staying well, feeling heard, and sticking around?
You start by fixing the systems they rely on every single day.
In this blog
When payroll fails, trust falters
Financial wellbeing is no longer a “nice to have”
Clear communication supports psychological safety
Career progression keeps people going
Reduce burnout with better workforce planning
If you’re not using real-time data, you’re reacting too late
1. When payroll fails, trust falters
If we go back to the primary fundamentals of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, financial stability (or, in other words, being paid on time and correctly) sits right near the bottom. This is the foundation that everything else is built upon. It’s the cornerstone of psychological safety.
However, when payroll accuracy lags and staff aren’t paid on time or in accordance with the hours and premiums worked (which, according to recent research, occurs to one in four employees across the UK), it chips away at their sense of security. Especially in industries such as education and multi-academy trusts, which, let’s face it, aren’t the most synonymous with competitive rates of pay.
Then, we have various pay structures, pensions, contracts, pay premiums. And, of course, the added complexity of new employee pay benefits, such as the recent introduction to neonatal care pay. With so many variables at play, getting payroll right the first time around is an absolute must for meeting your employees’ most basic needs.
At Zellis, it is our firm belief that payroll accuracy isn’t just a financial requirement – it’s an employee wellbeing necessity, which is why we created a HR & payroll platform designed to manage the full complexity of MAT pay structures with 91% payroll accuracy.
Zellis helps MATs automate payroll workflows with total precision, accounting for variable hours, split roles, term-time pay schedules, and complex pension arrangements. Our platform flags anomalies early, integrates with core HR and finance systems, and provides staff with real-time visibility over their pay – so there are no surprises and no need to chase.
Because when payroll is predictable, accurate, and transparent, it can determine whether someone stays at their job, or looks elsewhere.
2. Financial wellbeing is no longer a “nice to have”
If payroll accuracy is the foundation of trust, financial wellbeing is what strengthens it over time. And right now, that foundation is under pressure.
According to the NASUWT Big Question Survey 2024, 53% of teachers have cut back on heating, 58% have cut back on food expenditure, and more than 1 in 10 teachers have taken on a second job.
Separate research has also found that over 13,000 teachers opted out of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme in 2024 to help with cost-of-living affordability.
And, across the nation, multi-academy trusts have the lowest teacher retention rates because of some of the above-mentioned reasons.
It’s not just teaching staff. According to a UNISON survey, school support staff are also struggling, with many skipping meals, delaying medical care, and taking on extra jobs to cope with the cost-of-living crisis.
Staff across all functions within MAT’s are in a state of chronic financial stress. It is directly impacting their energy, focus, and commitment to their role, no matter how passionate they are about education.
Of course, MATs can’t magic up more budget. But you can make financial support more practical, accessible, and personalised. With Zellis, you can help reduce the financial stress of your employees by:
- Offering earned wage access, so staff can access money they’ve already earned before payday
- Giving employees visibility into their payslips, deductions, and pension contributions through a self-serve portal
- Supporting payroll education initiatives to improve financial literacy and reduce confusion around things like tax codes, pension tiers, or pay banding
These aren’t grand gestures, but they are small, meaningful ways to help staff feel more in control of their money, and by extension, their lives.
3. Clear communication supports psychological safety
No matter the type of relationship – romantic, familial, friendly, or professional – when communication breaks down, it can tether the strongest connections. But, what does this look like in professional settings?
Staff stop asking questions because they don’t expect answers. They stop attending briefings because they don’t feel it’s relevant to them. And eventually, they stop engaging overall.
Unlike small organisations, who can discuss things over a morning coffee, across the room, or send out an email notification, communication at multi-academy trusts isn’t as straightforward.
You have different schools, colleagues working different shifts, roles and contracts, and let’s not forget different levels of information access. That’s why MATs need a communication infrastructure that keeps everyone aligned and included.
It can be as simple as a built-in newsfeed and real-time notification updates on the Zellis mobile app to keep staff informed without overflowing inboxes.
No more searching for SharePoint folders or forwarding outdated PDFs. Whether it’s a wellbeing support guide, paid CPD opportunity, or details on the updated sexual harassment at work policy, you can keep all your sensitive employee information on the go.
Take, for example, one of our enterprise hospitality customers. Under their unique company culture guidelines, policies, and franchise-specific tone of voice, we worked closely with them to expand ELLA’s (Zellis’ 24/7 AI assistant) capability as a safe and trusted point of contact for staff to anonymously raise and negotiate concerns about inappropriate behaviour.
With this level of discreet, structured support, issues are now addressed early, fairly, and consistently. It’s a reminder that psychological safety not only comes from having policies, it comes from making those policies feel accessible – and actionable – for everyone.
Because communication isn’t only about what you say, it’s about how safe people feel to speak up. And when you get that right, people stay – because they feel supported.
4. Career progression keeps people going
Any working adult will understand how career uncertainty fuels stress. If staff don’t know whether there’s room to grow, or what opportunities are available to them, it creates mental fatigue and disengagement. And this is proving to be quite the block with MAT’s. Teaching assistants, support staff, and even early-career teachers, have cited leaving the profession largely due to a lack of respect while in the role, as well as low pay and career progression.
So, when we think about building a transparent career framework, it is just as much an employee wellbeing initiative as any other.
Zellis helps MATs map out career paths, showing staff what qualifications, performance steps, or competencies they need to take the next step. And because everything’s in one place, progress doesn’t get lost or forgotten.
At the end of the day, when staff can see a future at an organisation – and believe they’re being supported to reach it – they feel valued, empowered, and far less likely to experience burnout or leave.
5. Reduce burnout with better workforce planning
Did you know that only 1% of teachers in the UK say their workload is always manageable? 1%!
We often talk about staff wellbeing in terms of pay, workload, or recognition. But, we rarely stop to look at the impact of poor planning and scheduling. Yet, according to 90% of teachers, this is one of the biggest daily stressors MAT employees face.
When staff rotas are stretched thin, schedules are constantly changing, or roles aren’t clearly defined, the impact goes far beyond inconvenience. Teaching assistants, SEN staff, admin and facilities teams often end up covering missing roles or working extra unpaid hours. That unpredictability diminishes morale and isn’t healthy.
Smarter workforce planning is one of the most effective levers you have to protect wellbeing. If we look at Zellis’ bespoke workforce management tool, with its built-in visibility over staffing levels, absences, and contractual limits, MATs can:
- Create clear, accurate rotas aligned to contracted hours
- Ensure fair allocation of duties
- Build-in flexibility to support job shares, phased returns, or part-time arrangements
- Set automated alerts when staff workloads exceed safe limits
Plus, with its advanced labour forecasting capabilities, you can use your historical data, match it with external data such as events, holidays, and weather, and anticipate staffing needs ahead of time, so you always have a back up plan.
But, the main point is, when you are fair and data-driven with your scheduling, it can highly benefit the wellbeing of your workforce.
6. If you’re not using real-time data, you’re reacting too late
Every conversation we’ve had so far, whether it is about payroll, financial support, communication, or career development, hinges on one thing: being able to see what’s really going on.
However, the harsh reality is that too often, employee wellbeing conversations start when it’s already too late. A teacher has taken long-term sick leave; a facilities manager hands in their resignation; or an exit survey flags burnout.
By the time it reaches HR’s radar, the opportunity to intervene early has already passed.
That’s why the most forward-thinking multi-academy trusts are switching things up, equipping decision-makers with the insights they need to act. Instead of waiting for red flags to land in their inbox, they’re investing in HR systems such as Zellis that can:
- Track spikes in absence across schools that may signal rising stress or workload imbalance
- Monitor turnover trends at role or department level to understand why people are leaving, and where interventions are needed
- Analyse working patterns, overtime, and contracted hours to flag potential burnout risks
- Measure sentiment across the workforce through regular pulse surveys, giving staff a chance to share what’s really going on, before they reach a breaking point
Conclusion: Fix the systems, and employee wellbeing will follow
Overall, it’s clear that achieving employee wellbeing is about removing the daily friction points that drain your people’s time, energy, and trust.
Whether that’s inaccurate pay, unclear progression, lack of communication, or poor visibility over wellbeing risks, the issues that erode staff wellbeing are often structural.
That’s why truly strategic multi-academy trusts are shifting their approach. They’re recognising that supporting wellbeing isn’t just about being empathetic, it’s about being equipped to support the fundamentals that help ease the burden of adult life.
Zellis provides the building blocks to do just that by embedding employee wellbeing into the systems and structures people rely on every single day – from accurate payroll and timely communication, to career clarity, financial support, and early intervention.
Key takeaways
- Staff wellbeing is more than a simple standalone initiative, it’s built into the daily systems that shape the employee experience.
- Inaccurate payroll undermines trust and security, especially in MATs with complex pay structures.
- Financial stress is rising across MATs, making practical, accessible support like early earned wage access essential.
- AI in HR tools like ELLA help foster psychological safety by giving staff a discreet, trusted channel to raise concerns.
- Clear career pathways reduce career stress by helping staff feel supported, valued, and able to grow within their roles.
- Reduce the risk of burnout, stress, and disengagement by adopting smarter workforce planning and scheduling practices that promote stability and fairness across MATs.
- Real-time data enables early intervention. This gives HR the insights needed to prevent attrition and burnout before it’s too late.
See why leading MATs are choosing Zellis over traditional bureaus
Discover how Zellis helps multi-academy trusts build systems that support staff – from accurate payroll and financial clarity to early wellbeing interventions and improved communication.
