A new report by the U.S. Surgeon General outlines the foundational role workplaces should play in promoting the health and well-being of workers as reports of “quiet quitting” and the COVID pandemic have changed the relationship that some workers have with their jobs. Notably, the report also connects in many ways to the Biden administration’s broader workplace policy agenda.
The “Framework for Mental Health & Well-Being in the Workplace” outlines five essential elements to help employers develop, institutionalize, and update policies and practices that best support employee well-being including:
- Creating the conditions for physical and psychological safety;
- Fostering positive social interaction and relationships in the workplace to support connection and community;
- Promoting work-life harmony by providing more autonomy over how work is done, making schedules as flexible and predictable as possible, increase access to paid leave, and respecting boundaries between work and non-work time;
- Establishing dignity and meaning in work by providing a living wage, engaging workers in workplace decisions, building a culture of gratitude and recognition while connecting work with organizational mission; and
- Offering quality training, education, and monitoring while fostering clear, equitable pathways for career advancement.
Takeaway: The Framework is a guide and call to action for workplace leaders to engage all workers and equitably support their well-being. It includes evidence-informed practices which it encourages leadership across workplaces of varied sizes and industries to apply to their organizations.
