REGULATORY REPORT 5 new guidelines debut to help workplace well-being By Diane Sofranec | PMP Senior Editor I n October, in an effort to help businesses of all sizes develop and update their policies, processes and practices that support the mental health and well-being of their workers, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released the “Surgeon General’s Framework for Mental Health and Well-Being in the Workplace.” The 30-page document is designed to be the foundation on which businesses can build a plan that will help its employees. The Framework features Five Essentials that business leaders can follow to support their teams’ mental health and well-being. The Framework can be downloaded, along with a graphic that spells out the Five Essentials and a deck of questions to help employers get started, at HHS.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/ workplace-well-being/index.html . HELPING WORKERS The Framework was developed to help the American public better understand and address factors that affect public health. “It will require organizations to rethink how they protect workers from harm, foster a sense of connection among workers, show workers that they matter, make space for their lives outside work, and support their growth,” Dr. Murthy said. “It will be worth it, because the benefits will accrue for workers and organizations alike.” According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the average full-time worker in the U.S. spends about half of their waking life at work, so workplaces play a significant role in shaping workers’ mental and physical well-being. Recent surveys illustrate the toll COVID-19 has taken on workers, according to the HHS. A 2021 Mind Share Partners’ survey, for example, shows 76 percent of workers nationwide reported at least one symptom of a mental health condition, such as anxiety and depression. This is a 17 percent increase over 2019. In addition, 84 percent of respondents to a 2022 American Psychological Association survey said at least one factor in their workplace had a negative impact on their mental health. IMPLEMENTING AN ACTION PLAN In light of the high number of workers who have left their jobs over the past two years, businesses can take steps to help strengthen the well-being of their workers. The Framework’s Five Essentials are as follows: 1 PROTECTION FROM HARM. Creating the conditions for physical and psychological safety is a critical foundation for ensuring mental health and well-being in the workplace. To promote practices that better assure protection from harm, workplaces can: ⦁ Prioritize workplace physical and psychological safety. ⦁ Enable adequate rest. ⦁ Normalize and support focusing on mental health. ⦁ Operationalize diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) norms, policies and programs. CONTINUED ON PAGE 24 22 November 2022 • Pest Management Professional mypmp.net ILLUSTRATION: HHS.GOV
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