Engines of Mental Health and Wellbeing
Jaimie Hutchison | June 26, 2023
Jeane Garcia Davis, MSN/MPH, RN: Associate Director of Science and Policy, from the Office of the Surgeon presents at the 2023 CUWFA National Conference.
The most impactful session
I had the pleasure of listening to a presentation about the U.S. Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being by Jeane Garcia Davis, MSN/MPH, RN: Associate Director of Science and Policy, from the Office of the Surgeon General. Released in late 2022, the framework was developed after a year and a half of listening and learning from round tables and engagement from partners from different employment sectors. At the CUWFA conference Davis offered action steps for people engaged in health and wellbeing work and for work-life offices at colleges and universities.
There are 160 million people in the workforce in the U.S. When people thrive at work, they are more likely to feel physically and mentally healthy overall. That enables them to contribute positively to their workplace. Leaders hold a unique responsibility to create a workplace that support the health and wellbeing of others. “We have the power to make workplaces engines of mental health and wellbeing,” Davis observed.
The framework is centered on the worker voice and equity and has five essential components. The five essentials for workplace mental health and wellbeing are:
- Protection from Harm
- Connection and Community
- Work-Life Harmony
- Mattering at Work
- Opportunity for Growth
MSU WorkLife Office Director Jaimie Hutchison with Jeane Garcia Davis
Where to start within the framework
There were a lot of takeaways from the presentation. During the Q and A section of the presentation, I asked “after receiving months of feedback, where was the best place to start within the framework?” The answer was impactful. Davis noted that although the five essentials center around the worker’s voice and equity, another piece of the framework has risen to the forefront of discussions—mattering at work. Many have even recommended that instead of workers’ voice and equity being at the center of the framework, mattering at work could be the fulcrum.
“We are real people. We go home, we have real issues. Workers need to know that their employers don’t see them as robots.”
Mattering at work
So, what does it mean to matter at work? The answer was simple.
- Workers wish to be valued.
- They want dignity and support at work.
- Workers want to be embraced as whole people in the workplace and experience psychological safety.
Discussions on mattering at work conclude that organizations should consider benefits beyond a living wage:
- Mental health supports,
- retirement plans,
- workers’ compensation,
- financial and legal services and
- caregiving support.
The MSU WorkLife Office is aligned with the framework and promotes wellbeing at work and caregiving supports. These supports are critical to health and wellbeing at work, and they assist with the recruitment and retention of women and people of color.
In addition,
- Employees want to be engaged in workplace decisions.
- They want to be recognized and to be a part of a culture of gratitude.
- Employees want to be connected to the organizational mission.
- The final point was the critical need for a trauma informed approach to workplace interactions.
Looking at MSU’s 2030 Strategic Plan, the framework for the new University Health and Wellbeing division, the goals of the MSU WorkLife Office, and the direction that MSU Human Resources is embracing, we are on track to make real advances in promoting MSU as a workplace that is an engine of mental health and wellbeing.
More information
For more information on the framework and MSU supports:
Standby for more information on the structure and focus of University Health and Wellbeing, which the MSU WorkLife Office is proud to be a part of.
Together, we can make MSU an even healthier and more well place to work.
Please contact the MSU WorkLife Office at worklife@msu.edu with questions.
