Workplaces as ‘engines’ for mental health: US Surgeon General

The framework outlines the foundational role that workplaces should play in promoting the health and well-being of workers and communities.  

“We have the power to make workplaces engines for mental health and well-being,” the US Surgeon General, Vivek H. Murthy, writes in the framework.

“Doing so will require organizations to rethink how they protect workers from harm, foster a sense of connection among workers, show them that they matter, make space for their lives outside work, and support their long-term professional growth.”   

The framework outlines five essentials for workplace mental health:  

• Protection from harm 
• Connection and Community 
• Work-Life Harmony 
• Mattering at Work 
• Opportunity for Growth 

The Surgeon General’s framework follows the release in September of World Health Organization Guidelines on Mental Health at Work, and accompanying Policy Brief from the World Health Organization and International Labour Organization.