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When Workplace Support is Built on Trust

How Central Depository Company (CDC), the backbone of Pakistan's capital market, built a workplace wellbeing program that employees trust.

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Illustration of CDC employees gathered together at a Be Me wellbeing session

Executive Summary

Organization
Central Depository Company (CDC)
Industry
Financial Services
Partnership with
Be Me (Homeostasis)
19%
of employees opted in
4.5/5
Satisfaction
(pilot + Q2)
85
Sessions to date
43 pilot42 ongoing
91%
Want continued support
01
The Challenge

The Challenge

In Pakistan, 34% of employees experience significant daily stress and only 4% feel engaged at work (Gallup, 2026). Yet stigma and confidentiality concerns often stop employees from seeking support.

34%experience significant daily stress
4%feel engaged at work
Source: Gallup, State of the Global Workplace 2026

For organizations, the challenge is not only introducing wellbeing initiatives but creating enough trust for employees to use them.

CDC's priority

To strengthen employee wellbeing, Central Depository Company of Pakistan Limited (CDC) identified wellbeing as a key priority through their employee engagement survey.

The goal was to help employees understand the support available and feel comfortable accessing it.

“We wanted employees to understand what options were available to them and know that getting help isn't a big deal.”

CDC Leadership
October 2025

In October 2025, CDC partnered with Be Me to launch a structured workplace wellbeing program. It has since become a permanent, monthly in-office service.

02
The Approach

The Approach

Building Trust Before Providing Support

The engagement began with Be Me and CDC's HR team working together to understand the organization's culture and employee wellbeing needs. The program was designed around confidentiality, accessibility, and equity to build trust and encourage help-seeking.

The first phase focused on wellbeing awareness sessions, helping employees understand mental health, learn about available support, and feel more comfortable seeking help.

  1. 1
    DiscoveryMapping how the organization works and communicates
  2. 2
    Awareness sessionsNormalizing conversations about mental health
  3. 3
    Leadership engagementSenior leaders modeling openness first
  4. 4
    Psychometric assessmentsConfidential, validated, anonymous
  5. 5
    Data-informed planningProgramming shaped by what employees need

Confidential psychometric assessments

The awareness sessions were complemented by confidential psychometric assessments, providing de-identified, aggregate insights into employee wellbeing. These findings informed Be Me's evidence-based recommendations and ongoing support.

Leading From the Front

Senior management and HR reinforced the message by actively participating in the program, openly supporting the initiative, and sharing personal experiences.

Their involvement helped normalize help-seeking.

The facilitator did a great job in making people comfortable, talking about social barriers and how to break them.

CDC Leadership
03
The Pilot

Piloting Confidential Counseling

With trust established, a pilot of confidential one-on-one counseling sessions was introduced. The process was designed to make support easier to access.

  1. Awareness
  2. Trust & Voluntary Participation
  3. Single Online Booking Link
  4. Office-Hour Sessions
  5. Private Space at CDC Office
  6. Confidential Session
  7. Wellbeing Screening
  8. Employee Feedback
19appointment slots filled within the first 30 minutes
+24additional slots filled just as quickly

What the Pilot Revealed

The pilot indicated that employees were willing to seek support once trust had been established.

Participation was near-equal across genders: men came forward just as readily as women.

The Numbers Behind the Trust

91%
want continued support
4/5
Satisfaction (pilot)
5/5
Safe & supportive environment
4/5
Felt heard and understood

“I had such a positive experience with my counselor today. She was incredibly nice, patient, and genuinely understanding. It really felt like she listened with empathy and helped me open up without hesitation.”

CDC Employee, Counseling Pilot Participant
04
The Results

From Pilot to Ongoing Wellbeing Program

The pilot demonstrated measurable value for employees and the organization, enabling CDC to move toward a more structured, evidence-informed approach to workforce wellbeing.

Building on these outcomes, CDC institutionalized monthly, in-office wellbeing clinics, delivered by qualified Be Me providers, to give employees accessible, ongoing support.

42
Q1–Q2 sessions
100%
Of available slots booked
4.9/5
Overall satisfaction (Q2)
34%
Average reduction in PHQ-9 scores (n=14)

Since the pilot, 42 one-on-one support sessions have been provided to CDC employees over a six-month period (April to September) as part of the Employee Wellbeing Initiative.

In their words

Had a wonderful session. Keep up the good work!

Hope to have similar sessions in the future for a healthy lifestyle.

Good initiative. The session was really helpful and informative.

CDC Employees, Ongoing Support Participants
What made the difference

Why This Worked

Awareness before intervention

Employees became familiar with the program and the kind of support available.

Visible leadership support

Presence reinforced that seeking support was both acceptable and encouraged.

Employee choice

Voluntary participation, giving control over when they accessed support.

Simple access

Online scheduling and on-site sessions during working hours removed practical barriers.

Consistent confidentiality

Protected and clearly communicated at every step, which built trust in the process.

Ongoing engagement

Monthly campaigns and reminders kept wellbeing visible without creating pressure.

Once people took counseling sessions, they became ambassadors for promoting the program themselves.

CDC Leadership

Conclusion

CDC's experience shows that employees will use mental health support when it is built on trust: visible leadership, consistent confidentiality and easy access. Within months, a pilot became a permanent part of how CDC supports its people.

Through its continued partnership with Be Me, CDC will keep using employee insights to spot emerging needs early and shape its wellbeing strategy.

People need to believe that they can help themselves, you can only provide them the wings and they can fly wherever they want to.

CDC Leadership

Key Insights

  • Trust drives uptake. Awareness sessions and visible leadership came first. When counseling opened, the first 19 slots were booked within 30 minutes.
  • Insight makes investment smarter. Confidential, de-identified assessments showed CDC where support was needed most, so resources could be targeted rather than spread thin.
  • Results build the case to continue. 91% of employees wanting continued support and an overall satisfaction rating of 4/5 turned a pilot into a permanent, monthly service.
Want results for your company?

Talk to Be Me about building a wellbeing program your employees will trust.

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FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions About Workplace Wellbeing Programs

What is a workplace wellbeing program?

A workplace wellbeing program is a structured set of initiatives that supports employees' mental and physical health. It can include awareness sessions, confidential counseling, psychometric assessments and ongoing campaigns. In CDC's case, the program combined all four, delivered by Be Me.

How did CDC get employees to use mental health support?

CDC built trust before offering counseling. Awareness sessions came first, senior leaders took part openly, participation was voluntary and confidentiality was protected at every step. When counseling opened, the first 19 slots were booked within 30 minutes.

What results did the CDC wellbeing program achieve?

19% of employees opted in, satisfaction averaged 4.5/5 across the pilot and Q2, and 91% of employees want continued support. 85 sessions have been delivered to date: 43 in the pilot and 42 in the ongoing program. Average PHQ-9 scores dropped by 34% among 14 participants.

Is employee counseling confidential?

Yes. Counseling sessions were confidential and held in a private space at the CDC office. Psychometric assessments provided only de-identified, aggregate insights into employee wellbeing.

How long does it take to set up a workplace wellbeing program?

CDC and Be Me launched in October 2025, and within months the pilot became a permanent, monthly in-office service. The timeline depends on your organization, so Be Me starts by understanding your culture and employee wellbeing needs.

How can my company start an employee wellbeing program with Be Me?

Contact Be Me at eap@beme.global or +92 347 121 2363 to discuss your organization's needs and design a program your employees will trust.