One Mind at Work has launched a standardised assessment of workforce mental health programs and practices for organisations.
The Mental Health at Work Index enables organisations across industries to benchmark their programs and services, and use the personalised reports generated to help develop services and offerings.
The index framework provides a definition of what a “good” workplace health program looks like and gives decision makers the objective, independent data they need to make informed strategic decisions that are in the best interests of their workforce and their businesses.
It has been produced in partnership with the Columbia University Mental Health + Work Design Lab and Ethisphere.
For the past five months, the index has been exclusively available to One Mind at Work members, with some of this group involved in its beta testing.
It is now publicly available for any company interested in measuring and improving how it addresses the mental health of its workforce, with organisation assessments costing $2,000.
The body said the index is rooted in scientific principles from psychology, organisational behaviour, and management systems.
It measures maturity in ten categories: mental health strategy, leadership, workforce engagement, communication, organisational culture, mental health training, work design and environment, mental health benefits, employment practices, and monitoring and reporting.
Nine founding member corporations have sponsored the build of the Mental Health at Work Index and contributed expertise and perspectives to its design.
The founding members are:
- Axa Asia & Africa, founding principal partner
- Aon
- Bank of America
- Business Group on Health
- HCA Healthcare
- Jardine Matheson, MINDSET Care Limited (Singapore) and MINDSET Limited (Hong Kong)
- TELUS Health (formerly LifeWorks)
- Prudential
- URAC
Christina McCarthy, executive director of One Mind at Work, said: “Overall, organisations are still at an early stage of developing a holistic mental health strategy that addresses protection of workers’ mental health, promotion of psychosocial wellbeing, and provision of access to information, resources, and services.
“These findings underscore just how difficult and nuanced this work truly is – even with committed leadership and attention, employers need a strategic approach that accounts for the differences from job to job within an organisation.”
Dr Kathleen Pike, director of the Columbia University Mental Health + Work Design Lab, said: “Just as the data shows there’s a clear problem, the data can lead us to a solution.
“The Mental Health at Work Index empowers leaders by providing them with objective, independent data to make informed, strategic decisions.
“This data is paired with a reservoir of expertise, guiding leaders though evidence-based approaches that translate into better health and performance for their workforce.
“We look forward to deeper insights over time as the database grows and we follow these organisations as their efforts improve and mature.”
Gordon Watson, CEO of Axa Asia and Africa, added: “Our participation in the beta testing of the Mental Health at Work Index has underlined the impact it can have in helping organisations evaluate their efforts to support employee mind health.
“It finally provides a solution for CEOs to bridge the gap of how to effectively assess their programs and benchmark progress, thereby enabling them to make a clear business case to invest and expand their initiatives.
“Through this process, companies can be confident they are achieving the best outcomes for their employees, which can help to make workplaces a positive influence on mental wellbeing.”