New Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being

According to an Oct. 20 press release, United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, M.D. released a new “Surgeon General’s Framework for Mental Health & Well-Being in the Workplace.” The framework outlines what role workplaces should have in promoting the health and well-being of workers and communities. The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the nature of work and the relationship some workers have with their jobs, says the release, due to reports of “quiet quitting” and the Great Resignation.

The release sates that “With more than 160 million people participating in the United States workforce and with the average full-time worker in the United States spending about half of their waking life at work, workplaces play a significant role in shaping our mental and physical well-being. Employers have a unique opportunity not only to invest in the mental health and well-being of their workforce, but also to strengthen their organizations’ success by doing so.”

Moreover, “The COVID-19 pandemic brought the relationship between work and well-being into clearer focus for many U.S. workers. According to recent surveys:

• 76 percent of U.S. workers in a 2021 survey reported at least one symptom of a mental health condition exit disclaimer icon (anxiety, depression), an increase of 17 percentage points in just two years.
• 81 percent of workers reported that they will be looking for workplaces that support mental health exit disclaimer icon in the future.
• 84 percent of respondents reported at least one workplace factor that had a negative impact on their mental health.”

The Surgeon General’s Framework for Mental Health and Well-Being in the Workplace outlines five key areas to assist organizations in best supporting the mental health and well-being of workers, including:

1. Protection from harm by creating conditions for physical and psychological safety.
2. Connection and community through fostering positive social interactions and relations in the workplace.
3. Work-life harmony through providing more autonomy over how work is done, making schedules flexible and predictable when possible, increasing access to paid leave, and respecting boundaries between work and non-work time.
4. Mattering at work through promoting elements like providing a living wage, engaging workers in decisions at the workplace, and building a culture of recognition.
5. Providing opportunities for growth for workers to accomplish goals based on their skills.

“A Surgeon General’s Framework is a guide to call attention to a public health issue, developed to help the American public better understand and address factors that affect health,” the release says. “This particular Framework provides Essentials, a foundation of key components, for workplace leaders to engage all workers and equitably support their mental health and well-being. It includes evidence-informed practices that leadership across workplaces of varied sizes and industries can apply to reimagine and reinvigorate their organizations.”

Murthy is quoted in the release saying that “A healthy workforce is the foundation for thriving organizations and healthier communities. As we recover from the worst of the pandemic, we have an opportunity and the power to make workplaces engines for mental health and well-being, and this Surgeon General’s Framework shows us how we can start. It will require organizations to rethink how they protect workers from harm, foster a sense of connection among workers, show workers that they matter, make space for their lives outside work, and support their growth. It will be worth it, because the benefits will accrue for workers and organizations alike.”