The recently released a report on workplace mental health and well-being, and 5X社区 was highlighted as a strong example of mental health support.
In the report titled "Framework for Workplace Health & Well-Being," Surgeon General of the United States and Vice Admiral of U.S. Public Health Services Vivek H. Murthy, M.D., M.B.A., emphasized the increasing need for workers to better manage daily stress and receive support from their workplace.
Work affects both our physical and mental well-being 鈥 in good ways and bad. The COVID-19 pandemic brought the relationship between work and well-being into clearer focus.
- Surgeon General's Report
The Surgeon General found that Kent State is doing just that for its 5,000 full- and part-time employees and serves as an example for other organizations.
According to :
"5X社区 (KSU) is a public, higher-education institution with approximately 6,000 employees across eight locations in Ohio and New York. In 2012, KSU leadership committed to addressing employee well-being, work-life balance, and mental health. After surveying staff, holding focus groups, and creating an inventory of campus resources, KSU administration confirmed that mental health and work-life balance were top employee concerns and developed a Workplace Mental Health and Wellness Initiative. In addition to efforts to build trust and workshops to help supervisors identify and respond to signs of depression among staff, the team at KSU focused on normalizing mental health by minimizing stigma around accessing support services.
"This included improvements to and communication around their comprehensive Employee Assistance Program (EAP), with online and telephone options, and support with stress, anxiety, depression, child and older adult caregiver needs, as well as assistance with financial, legal or identify theft. The EAP is available to all staff, household members, and dependents of staff. They also focused on increasing time and opportunities for connection, including 鈥榳alk and talks鈥 which gave workers an opportunity to be together, be physically active, and find peer support.
"In the first six months following the launch of the campaign, KSU found a notable increase in EAP utilization and increased web traffic to their EAP website on mental health issues. For the 12-month period after the launch of the campaign in 2012, KSU saw a reduction in claims dollars spent for covered employees diagnosed with depression of $4,861.93 per employee per year, resulting in more than $1 million in savings. Following the implementation of the program, positive responses to employee surveys asking if workers believed their organization cared about their health and well-being more than tripled.
"Their continued efforts to cultivate a positive working environment for employees has led KSU to be recognized as one of the 鈥淕reat Colleges to Work For鈥 among 212 institutions for the 11th time since the implementation of the initiative. This has included recognition for their efforts in the following areas: Compensation and Benefits; Confidence in Senior Leadership; Shared Governance; Faculty Experience; and Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging."
In early September, Kent State celebrated its inclusion as a Great College to Work For. It was the 11th time Kent State received this honor, which recognizes the colleges that get top ratings from their employees regarding workplace practices and policies.
Kent State was also recently named the No. 3 top employer in Ohio for 2022 and a best employer for women in the nation for 2021.