Health Promoting Workplaces

World Health Organization's Definition (2010)

"A healthy workplace is one in which workers and managers collaborate to use a continual improvement process to protect and promote the health, safety and well-being of workers and the sustainability of the workplace by considering the following, based on identified needs:

• health and safety concerns in the physical work environment;
• health, safety and well-being concerns in the psychosocial work environment including organization of work and workplace culture;
• personal health resources in the workplace; and
• ways of participating in the community to improve the health of workers, their families and other members of the community."
  • World Health Organization (WHO) Workplace Model

Government of Canada - Healthy Workplaces

"A healthy work environment can be defined as a work setting that takes a strategic and comprehensive approach to providing the physical, cultural, psychological and work conditions that maximize the health and wellbeing of providers, improves the quality of care and optimizes organizational performance."

A psychologically healthy and safe workplace encourages “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.”

"Psychological health comprises our ability to think, feel and behave in a manner that enables us to perform effectively in our work environments, our personal lives, and in society at large. Psychological safety is different - it deals with the risk of injury to psychological well-being that an employee might experience. Improving the psychological safety of a work setting involves taking precautions to avert injury or danger to employee psychological health."

What does a psychologically health and safe workplace look like?

From IHI: "Feel free to interpret the Triple Aim in a way that makes sense for you and your organization and what you need to achieve, but do so in a way that is deliberate and strategic. Whether you choose to work on the Triple Aim or the Quadruple Aim, understand that you can’t ignore joy in work or equity and expect to secure Triple Aim outcomes."

In Canada, the National Standard for Psychological Health & Safety at work recognizes 13 factors that may impact the mental health and wellness of staff. These factors include Organizational Culture, Psychological and Social Support, Clear Leadership & Expectations, Civility & Respect, Psychological Demands, Growth & Development, Recognition & Reward, Involvement & Influence, Workload Management, Engagement, Balance, Psychological Protection, Protection of Physical Safety. 

Guarding Minds at Work provides a detailed explanation of each psychosocial factor as well as evidence links for further learning. 

The Mental Health Commission of Canada partnered with other agencies to produce short animated videos on each of the 13 factors to encourage discussion with others:

Complete Playlist On YouTube>>

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement presents a framework for increasing joy at work, stating "joy in work is more than just the absence of burnout or an issue of individual wellness; it is a system property" and is linked to the idea that leaders ask colleagues at all levels  "What Matters to You?" to enable conversations to return joy to the workplace. 

Watch "Impediments to Joy in Work: (2 mins 48 secs)

Browse through more research on the topic of burnout on Pubmed (burnout[title]). Did you know that articles in Pubmed Medline with the word "burnout" in the title alone increased by 47% in the last 5 years alone?