The OECD report, “Protecting and empowering consumers in the green transition”, proves that greenwashing is common – the international ICPEN audit showed that at least 40 percent parties engaged in potentially misleading practices. At the same time, one in three consumers noticed greenwashing in the last year. On the other hand this year's Edelman Trust Barometer recorded a decline in trust in employers – by approximately 3 percentage points. This is a signal that people are increasingly paying attention to companies.
According to the Antal report “Employer Branding in 2025. The perspective of candidates and employers”, Polish employers also face the challenge of authenticity: analysis of candidates' experiences and transparency of remuneration increasingly verify empty declarations. Employer branding is no longer a story – it is a commitment that can be verified.
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The growing pressure on authenticity is confirmed by Emilia Szczukowska, regulatory affairs analyst at the Association of Entrepreneurs and Employers:
— More and more organizations realize that authenticity is the foundation of reliable employer branding. Millennials, and especially Generation Z, have significantly raised the bar of expectations towards employers. Candidates and employees look for consistency between what the company communicates and what it actually offers – a in the age of social media, any discrepancies come to light very quickly.
Greenwashing in marketing
In July 2025, the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection initiated proceedings against Allegro, InPost, DPD and DHL eCommerce on suspicion of greenwashing. The office questioned, among other things, using terms such as “green fleet” or “climate neutrality” without providing evidence. We observe similar actions across Europe: in the UK, the CMA obliged ASOS, Boohoo and George at Asda to correct their communication about “sustainable fashion”, and the ASA banned bank advertisements (HSBC, Lloyds) that omitted important context of the broadcast.
The European Union has already reacted legislatively. Directive 2024/825 “Empowering Consumers” prohibits generic, unverified terms such as “eco” or “green”. Although a separate project – the so-called Green Claims Directive – was suspended in June 2025, the pressure on companies does not decrease. The applicable regulations still require proof of environmental slogans. In practice greenwashing is no longer just an image problem – it has become a legal and reputational risk.
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Wellbeing-washing and unsubstantiated declarations
The CIPD report “Health & Wellbeing at Work 2025” shows that although 57 percent companies have a formal wellbeing strategy, the average absenteeism increased to a record 9.4 days per employee per year. Long absences most often result from poor mental health, and the source of chronic stress is primarily excessive workload. Organizations invest in benefits, mindfulness workshops and “well-being days”, but they measure the effects too rarely.
— Companies often focus on declarations rather than showing specific actions. Wellbeing reduced to benefits has nothing to do with real well-being – emphasizes Emilia Szczukowska. — True support starts with a culture of trust, psychological safety, and a leadership style that truly supports people in their everyday work.
This is also confirmed by MIT Sloan Management Review data: A toxic culture is a turnover factor ten times stronger than salary.
The topic of health campaigns returns every year. According to LongLife's analysis, many companies engage in, for example, October campaigns to raise awareness of diseases and research, but their activities end with symbolic gestures – posts on social media or handing out gadgets. Meanwhile, health prevention expert Katarzyna Czarnowska notes that the greatest effects are brought only by a systemic approach to health, including an audit of needs, prevention and education, and not one-off actions.
Diversity-washing. Equality on display
The words “diversity” and “inclusiveness” have permanently entered the EB lexicon, but in many organizations DEI strategies only exist on paper. The report of the Association of Entrepreneurs and Employers “Every talent is worth its weight in gold – Inclusive in employment” reminds that authenticity requires measurable effects, not only campaigns promoting slogans.
As the authors of the publication emphasize, companies often stop at the declaration level. They lack a systemic approach to implementing diversity, e.g. managerial training, anti-discrimination activities or tools to measure progress. Inclusiveness without data and an action plan becomes another employer branding slogan.
— In times of employee shortage, engaging groups that may have previously been marginalized is becoming an effective way to recruit highly qualified specialists — adds Emilia Szczukowska. — Companies that build a truly inclusive environment gain more engaged, creative and loyal teams. Inclusiveness is not incompatible with results – it is increasingly the source of them.
A time of hard data and simple verification
EU regulations on non-financial reporting (CSRD) will force the publication of hard data on employment – from turnover and absenteeism to job security and well-being. This means that employer branding is no longer a sphere of narrative. Companies will have to prove the compliance of passwords with data, just as today the compliance of financial information with the balance sheet. “Eco”, “wellbeing” and “diversity” campaigns will become as verifiable as the annual report.
Employer branding is entering the era of authenticity. It is not enough to talk about values, they must be consistently implemented. Companies that treated ESG as an empty marketing strategy will have to face their own declarations. Those that invest in coherence between organizational culture and communication will gain something more valuable than image – trust.
