WORKPLACES

IN THE U.S. SURGEON GENERAL’S FRAMEWORK FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING IN THE WORKPLACE, ORGANIZATIONS ARE ENCOURAGED TO RETHINK HOW THEY PROTECT EMPLOYEES FROM HARM, FOSTER A SENSE OF CONNECTION AMONG WORKERS, SHOW WORKERS THAT THEY MATTER, AND SUPPORT THEIR GROWTH.

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Ensuring mental health is at the center of workplace policies is more important than ever as the country wrestles with financial stressors, changes in workplace culture exacerbated by the pandemic and growing concerns about stress among Americans.

Many things in life induce stress, including work. In ADP’s annual survey, People at Work, nearly half of workers reported their work is suffering due to poor mental health. It’s estimated nearly one in five U.S. adults lives with a mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

Workplace stress and poor mental health can negatively affect workers through job performance, productivity,

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 work engagement and communication, and physical capability and daily functioning, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

The good news is workplaces can be an important center for resources, solutions and activities designed to improve workers’ mental health and well-being. In the U.S. Surgeon General’s Framework for Mental Health and Well-Being in the Workplace, organizations are encouraged to rethink how they protect employees from harm, foster a sense of connection among workers, show workers that they matter, and support their growth

In this edition, we’ve asked a handful of regional companies to share how they’re building mental health-friendly workplaces – what are their strategies to be inclusive, meet their workers’ needs, alleviate stressors in the workplace and promote work-life balance?

Marlene Miller, director of people resources at Grand Forks, North Dakota-based Altru Health Systems, said a core message at Altru is “here, we care for one another.” a company based in Thief River Falls, Minnesota – said providing Doctor on Demand and Learn to Live programs where employees can access 24/7 in the privacy of their own home are integral parts of supporting employee mental health wellness.

“We know when our employees feel they belong, the quality of care we provide increases. We are also better able to identify and address concerns better when employees feel safe to speak up at work,” Miller said.

Congratulations to JonBogenreif,our president and CEO,our leader and legacy builder.Weare grateful for your unwavering dedication to Noridian Healthcare Solutions ’2,0 00 employees and to our mission of enabling access to care, eliminating barrier s, and elevating people. Your leader ship inspires us to put the over 20 million people we serve fir st whether we’reprocessing claims, answering calls, or implementing medical policy.Congratulations for this well-deserved acknowledgement and thank you for being atrue inspiration to us all!

Since employment is recognized as a key social determinant of health, it follows that job quality is an important factor in a person’s mental health and ability to access treatment for mental health conditions.

Focusing on creating positive work environments, providing high-quality jobs with safe workplaces, fair pay and benefits, and opportunities for all team members to be heard can form a baseline for employee mental health. Supporting employees and colleagues who require care for a mental health condition or substance abuse disorder builds on that foundation. Treating mental health care the same as other medical conditions helps create a culture where the spirit of supporting the health needs of all workers can flourish.

OSHA’s Safe Workplace Good Headspace initiative has tips for supervisors, coworkers and the workers themselves on how to educate employees, provide support and assistance, understand triggers and resources for help, including the Disaster and Distress Hotline at 800-985-5990 as well as the 988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline.

A company’s bottom line can only benefit from healthy and happy employees.