Workplace Mental Health & Well-Being from Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy

It was a great honor to meet Dr. Vivek H. Murthy?at US INDIA Chamber of commerce event, I learned about Workplace Mental Health & Well-Being in great detail from him. Dr. Murthy explained why Mental health in the workplace is not a nice-to-have, but a must-have, further he shared statistics and explained the framework that supports workplace mental health and well being.

I am sharing some of the key points I learned from that session, also added the link to original framework document. The original document has excellent insights, the document highlights issues and solutions and ready to implement guidelines that will improve well being of employees and productivity of any organization.

• 76% of respondents reported at least one symptom of a mental health condition, an increase of 17 percentage points in just two years.
• In addition to the many impacts on the health and well-being of workers themselves, workplace well-being can affect productivity and organizational performance.
• Creating an environment where workers’ voices are supported without fear of job loss or retaliation is an essential component of healthy organizations

Source: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health & Well-Being

§Protection from Harm

???????Prioritize workplace physical and psychological safety

???????Enable adequate rest

???????Normalize and support mental health

???????Operationalize DEIA* norms, policies, and programs

§?Work-Life Harmony

???????Provide more autonomy over how work is done

???????Make schedules as flexible and predictable as possible

???????Increase access to paid leave

???????Respect boundaries between work and non-work time

§?Mattering at Work

???????Provide a living wage

???????Engage workers in workplace decisions

???????Build a culture of gratitude and recognition

???????Connect individual work with organizational mission

§?Connection & Community

???????Create cultures of inclusion and belonging

???????Cultivate trusted relationships

???????Foster collaboration and teamwork

§?Opportunity for Growth

???????Offer quality training, education, and mentoring

???????Foster clear, equitable pathways for career advancement

???????Ensure relevant, reciprocal feedback

*Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility

Thanks Gursharan Singh for the invite to attend the US INDIA chamber of commerce event, learnings from that conference is useful to run a healthy and productive organization.