You may have noticed that the “ice-bucket challenge,” the classic example of viral philanthropy, is back—but this time its focus is mental health rather than ALS. It is well-timed: A majority of Americans identified the issue as the country’s biggest health problem in Ipsos’s most recent global mental health report. And that was before this year’s economic uncertainty. Mental Health Awareness Month—May—cannot come soon enough.
A focus on well-being in the workplace is one avenue for addressing this growing crisis. HR leaders have an opportunity to simultaneously support their employees’ well-being and their business. But workplace well-being programs—which have become more popular since the pandemic—are not enough. Executives will also need to lead on this issue by integrating well-being practices and values into business strategy and culture.
Many point to the pandemic as the catalyst for the current employee well-being crisis. Then-Surgeon General Vivek Murthy warned in May 2023 about an epidemic of loneliness and isolation that started even before COVID’s onset. At the same time, many businesses are cutting costs—including by reducing staff levels—while trying to maintain the high productivity and performance necessary to compete in an uncertain global market, often inadvertently burning out their own workers.
In a recent survey by The Conference Board, less than half of U.S. workers indicated they had a high level of well-being. What’s more, the older the generation, the higher their well-being tends to be: 59 percent of baby boomers said their well-being was high compared to only 38 percent of millennials. As baby boomers retire and younger generations make up an increasing portion of the workforce, a focus on mental health and well-being will be crucial.
Executives are taking note. In a recent survey of corporate secretaries, 33 percent said mental health and employee well-being will gain more prominence in CHRO interactions with the board.
But CHROs cannot address this crisis alone; responsibility for employee well-being must extend beyond HR and into the C-Suite. Amid competing budget priorities, HR leaders will need to convince their C-Suite colleagues of the business case for well-being.
In an annual survey by The Conference Board, C-suite leaders identified developing leadership and workforce capabilities, enhancing people productivity and attracting and retaining workers as their top human capital priorities for this year. To make the case for further advancing employee well-being, CHROs need to highlight its important role in achieving these goals.
What’s clear is that employees tend to do their best work when they feel healthy, happy and supported. And we know that 84 percent of U.S. workers see their employer as at least partially responsible for their well-being. Organizations that demonstrate a commitment to their workers’ well-being will be more likely to attract and retain the best and the brightest; those who don’t will be at a competitive disadvantage in the talent marketplace.
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Once the business case is made, leaders should embed well-being into their organization’s strategy and culture. That begins with clearly defining what successful employee well-being looks like—and then communicating, measuring and rewarding these behaviors.
Employee well-being encompasses many dimensions of health, from mental and physical, to professional, financial and social. Social needs are particularly important amid this epidemic of loneliness; a culture that includes social connections and community will go a long way toward improving employee wellness. Leaders can foster this sense of community through employee resource groups and team well-being challenges.
The way people behave at work also fundamentally shapes organizational culture. It’s essential to recognize and encourage employees who treat others with respect and care. Hold managers accountable for well-being by integrating it into performance-management systems, creating incentives for managers to invest time and attention in their team members’ well-being.
The NatWest Group‘s well-being team utilizes an employee well-being index as part of its biannual engagement survey, for example, linking these metrics, along with other cultural indicators, to senior leaders’ performance goals. Goldman Sachs democratizes well-being awareness and trains employees to become mental health first responders who can support their colleagues.
Well-being must especially be a leadership priority. The C-suite should consider both the environment it creates as well as the behaviors it models and expects from employees. Teach leaders how to demonstrate behaviors that support well-being, such as active listening, leading with empathy and recognizing employee changes which can signal distress or burnout.
Walmart trains managers to operate with compassion in all customer and employee interactions. For example, it brings 2,000 managers a year to its headquarters to discuss how to relate to workers and customers.
Finally, executives should demonstrate a commitment to getting it right by publicly sharing progress toward well-being goals. Highlight what’s working to shift culture and mindsets around well-being. Merck Group does this with its annual well-being report, which demonstrates the priority it places on employee mental health and holds itself accountable for measuring progress, celebrating successes, raising the bar and sharing best practices with its employees, their families, and stakeholders.
HR leaders have a unique opportunity to equip their employees and organizations with the tools needed for a productive and rewarding culture—benefiting both employee- and business-performance. Employers who succeed at creating an organizational culture of well-being will do well in the competitive global market and the fight for talent.