There are approximately 63 million parents living with children under the age of 18 in the United States, along with millions of additional caregivers who hold the primary responsibility for caring for children.¹ Recent data shows that parents are suffering from increased levels of stress compared to other adults. The American Psychological Association revealed that:

• 48% of parents say their stress is completely overwhelming most days;
• 60% say stress makes it hard for them to focus; and
• 62% say no one understands how stressed out they are.

So what’s going on with parents?

The Surgeon General’s advisory notes that the traditional responsibilities of a parent—protecting children, caring for their physical needs, educating them and ultimately teaching them to be a responsible adult—now accompany additional responsibilities and pressures that parents a decade ago didn’t have to contend with.

Consider these new developments that make the act of parenting today more stressful:

• Social media and screen time. Given the linkage between social media and teen mental health, limiting screen use and access to social media requires constant time and energy on the part of the parent.
• The childcare crisis. It’s estimated that 50% of Americans live in a childcare desert. Childcare prices have grown by 26% in the last decade, averaging $1,250 per month per child. 
• A youth mental health crisis. The Surgeon General has written extensively about this, citing a sharp increase in depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation among the nation’s youth.
• New health and safety concerns. From school violence to climate change to the rise in certain childhood diseases—there is a lot for parents to be worried about.
• Increased involvement in children’s education and extracurricular activities. The pressure to constantly schedule enriching activities for children means parents spend an inordinate amount of time shuttling them to and from activities.
• Vanishing community and family support networks. The fragmenting of society and the epidemic of loneliness have made the tough job of parenting even more isolating.
• Increased caregiving for aging parents and ‘boomerang’ kids. Because people are having children later in life, parents are often managing their own parents’ care while still caring for young children. Older children are living at home longer, too.
• The new culture of comparison. Parents of previous generations didn’t experience the anxiety now caused by influencers and online trends that perpetuate unrealistic expectations for parenting strategies, achievements and child developmental milestones. 

And there are the lingering effects of the pandemic on children’s learning, social skills, and mental health that continue to require parents’ time and attention.

The stressors of modern-day parenting are taking a toll on parents’ well-being.

As the Surgeon General notes, the well-being of parents and caregivers is directly linked to the well-being of their children.

• Those caring for a child’s mental health are 2.8 times more likely to report diminished mental health and 2.7 times more likely to be diagnosed with a mental health condition themselves.²
• Burnout is already high in the U.S. with 44% of employees feeling burned out.³ Parenting demands, particularly the hyper-scheduling of children, leaves little time for self-care, which is critical to overall well-being.
• The APA notes that 66% of parents report feeling consumed by worries regarding money.⁴ Financial worries have been linked to poor sleep, physical health and mental well-being.

Parenting stress is also impacting the workplace.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), over 90% of families include at least one working parent; 65% have two working parents.⁵ Not surprisingly, with all the challenges described above, working parents may find it hard to bring their A-game to work each day.

Studies show that parents helping a child with a mental health challenge spend about eight hours a week managing their child’s mental health needs.⁶ The childcare crisis means they also may not show up to work. The Bureau of Labor Statistics just reported that the number of Americans absent from work to care for children returned to an all-time high in August 2024. Finally, parenting challenges may lead some parents—and studies show this is mostly women—to leave the workforce entirely.

So how can employers support parents?

The Surgeon General’s advisory calls for “a fundamental shift in how we value and prioritize the mental health and well-being of parents.” Given that we spend most of our days at work, it makes sense for employers to begin addressing some of these challenges.

Here are seven ways employers can support parents:

1. Invest in employee well-being programs and Employee Assistance Programs to help with stress management, work-life integration, and mental and physical well-being.
2. Offer flexible work arrangements like remote work, flexible hours, compressed work weeks, or job sharing.
3. Provide generous and equal parental leave for all parents—mothers, fathers and adoptive parents.
4. Consider on-site childcare facilities, back-up childcare, or subsidies for childcare expenses.
5. Educate managers on the challenges faced by working parents, how to recognize signs of stress, and how to support parents effectively.
6. Encourage more open and honest conversations about the work of parenting in the workplace and ask leaders to be good role models of work-life integration.
7. Create and support parenting Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to listen to employees and foster a more inclusive, supportive and productive workplace.

The Surgeon General states that “caregivers need care, too.” But investing in support for working parents isn’t just a feel-good initiative—it’s a smart business decision resulting in:

• Increased employee loyalty and retention;
• Enhanced reputation as an employer of choice; and
• Higher overall productivity and job satisfaction.

And it’s not just employees with children who benefit. Employers who recognize and address the unique challenges faced by working parents create a more supportive, productive, and profitable work environment for everyone.

WebMD Health Services can help you create programs to support the well-being of all employees. Contact us at connect@webmd.net.

WebMD Health Services (WHS): Let’s dive right in! Recently, you shared data with our team that the U.S. maternal death rate was 21 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. This is almost double the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD ) nations’ average of 10.9, and more than double that of several European nations.¹ It’s pretty shocking data. What are your thoughts?

Jennifer Dressler (JD): I guess I wasn’t exactly shocked. In an ideal maternal health system, all women would have access to comprehensive, seamless medical care with links to behavioral, economic, and social supports. But that just isn’t the reality in the U.S. today. Nearly half of rural counties do not have a hospital with obstetric services.² Chronic health conditions like hypertension and diabetes increase a woman’s chance of developing pregnancy complications like preeclampsia; prolonged stress can cause miscarriages.

Pregnancy complications also disproportionately affect Black and American Indian/Alaska Native women.³ This is in part due to the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age—called “social determinants of health”—which can profoundly affect maternal health. In fact, the maternal mortality rate for Black women is almost 70 deaths per 100,000 live births—more than three times the national average.⁴

There’s an urban/rural divide, too. One study found that rural residents had a nine percent greater probability of severe maternal morbidity and mortality, compared with urban residents.⁵

WHS: Can you elaborate a bit more on the crisis of maternal health care in rural areas?

JD: Yes, it’s a big problem. Many communities in the United States have few or no clinicians providing maternity care services, contributing to a national maternal and infant mortality rate that is much higher than that of comparable developed countries. The March of Dimes calls these communities “maternity care deserts (MCDs),” which is defined a county that has no hospitals providing obstetric care, and no practicing obstetrician-gynecologists (OB-GYNs) or certified nurse midwives (CNMs). Currently the March of Dimes estimates there are over 1,000 MCDs in the U.S.⁶ This isn’t to say that there aren’t family physicians who provide maternity care, but the lack of specialists and the need to drive long distances to the nearest hospital or provider puts women at risk.

WHS: These are pretty significant problems, many of which are beyond our ability as a corporate well-being provider to impact. But helping participants navigate complex health conditions is something we do all the time. What types of lifestyle support does WebMD Health Services offer to pregnant participants?

JD: I first want to say that our programs are largely set up to support healthy, uncomplicated pregnancies and there will obviously be times when we need to refer participants back to their OB-GYNs or primary care physicians. That said, our 56-day Maternal Health Daily Habits Plan, a digital self-management tool, does help women navigate all three trimesters of pregnancy with specific action items and follow-through catered to each stage of pregnancy.

In the first trimester, we emphasize getting early and regular prenatal care. In trimester two, it’s all about managing lifestyle changes to promote a healthy pregnancy for baby and mom. And during the final trimester, the program is dedicated to what a new mom needs to know to welcome her baby.

We also support partners with our 28-day Pregnant Partner Support Plan. We know that for a partner to be supportive, they need to understand what’s happening to the pregnant woman as well as take care of their own well-being so they’re ready when the new baby arrives.

WHS: What about coaching—do we offer specific maternal health coaching to participants?

JD: Yes, we offer lifestyle health coaching to pregnant participants. When they take our Health Assessment and indicate interest or reach out to our coaching staff, we can match them with a coach who is certified for all stages of pregnancy and can offer support during this time period.

WHS: According to the CDC, about 1 in 8 women will experience symptoms of post-partum depression.⁷ What type of support do we provide to women to support their well-being after the birth of the baby?

JD: We are equipped to help women with post-partum blues as well. We have coaches who are trained in mental health and can screen for post-partum depression, offer support and skill-building, and refer participants for additional support.

WHS: These days most women continue to work until just before their due date. Which means that there undoubtedly things an employer can do to support the pregnant mother. How can workplaces better accommodate the unique health needs of pregnant women?

JD: Fortunately, this is one area where there are many laws in place to protect pregnant women. Some newer regulations people may not be familiar with include the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act that went into effect last year. This law entitles pregnant women to “reasonable accommodations” like the ability to telework and take time off for health care appointments. There’s also the PUMP Act, which guarantees breastfeeding parents time and a private, non-bathroom place to pump. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act has been around since 1978 and prohibits pregnancy discrimination of all forms in the workplace. The 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) protects women’s jobs for 12 weeks after giving birth.

There is one area where we still have a long way to go, though, and that’s paid parental leave. We’re the only developed nation that doesn’t have a federal paid parental leave policy, though some states do offer it and more are set to pass this kind of legislation. There’s no disputing that being able to take time off after giving birth without accompanying financial stress would be a huge benefit to the physical and mental health of women—and benefit the new baby, too.

WHS: Aside from laws in place that employers must adhere to, what other actions can employers take to create an environment that is supportive of pregnant women?

JD: Offering flexible work options is a big one. Accommodating time off for medical appointments is another. Time off should also extend to the partner so they can attend doctor appointments, too. Managers can model healthy work-life behaviors by using company resources themselves and fostering psychological safety on their teams so pregnant workers feel comfortable. Stress has been linked to an increase in the risk of miscarriage, preterm labor, preterm birth, low birth weight and preeclampsia, so it’s important for managers to make sure pregnant women aren’t overloaded with work.⁸ And if the employer requires a uniform, by all means have some options so pregnant women can be comfortable throughout these nine months.

WHS: What about when women return to work? Any advice for employers?

JD: There was a great article recently in Harvard Business Review that addresses this issue. It notes that about a quarter of women return to work within two months of giving birth⁹ and about 10% return in 10 weeks or less.¹⁰ Women are still healing physically at that point in time and emotionally adjusting to being a new parent. Thankfully, we are starting to see acknowledgement that mothers shouldn’t bear all the responsibility for these challenges and that managers and coworkers can play a critical role in supporting new mothers. It all comes down to being an “ally” for pregnant women, validating them as both a worker and a mother, and ensuring they know about and can use any supports the employer puts in place, whether that’s pumping rooms or shipping breast milk or simply ensuring managers are empathetic and supportive.

WHS: Jennifer, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on the important issue of maternal health and how we can better support pregnant and post-partum women in the workplace.

JD: Thank you!

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To learn more about how WebMD Health Services can help your organization provide the support and resources to help pregnant women thrive both during pregnancy and after childbirth, contact us at connect@webmd.net.

Sitting is the new smoking.

Studies have shown that sedentary behaviors (i.e., sitting for extended periods of time without standing or walking) have increased in the last two decades, with many adults now sitting an average of six and a half hours per day.¹ Human beings were not meant to sit for so long, and we are starting to see the negative health effects.

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) noted that “individuals who predominantly engaged in sitting at work exhibited a higher risk of mortality from all causes (16%) and cardiovascular disease (34%) compared with those who predominantly did not sit, even after adjusting for sex, age, education, smoking, drinking, and body mass index.”² Prolonged bouts of sitting have been linked to all sorts of other chronic illness, too, including diabetes, obesity, vascular problems, musculoskeletal issues, dementia and even cancer.³

Why is sitting so bad for employees?

There’s no definitive answer yet, but scientists believe it likely has something to do with the lack of use of the largest muscles in our body, our leg muscles. According to Keith Diaz, assistant professor of behavioral medicine at Columbia University Medical Center, “muscles are important in regulating things like blood sugar and cholesterol levels. But when you sit for too long, your muscles don’t have the opportunity to contract and operate optimally.”⁴ This leads to a build-up of blood sugar and cholesterol in our bloodstreams.⁵

So what can employees do to counteract the effects of sitting?

The JAMA study found that it would take just an additional 15 to 30 minutes of physical activity per day to mitigate the risk of sitting and bring it in line with the level of risk for people who don’t sit all day at work.⁶ In addition, a small Swedish study found that “standing up and moving every 30 minutes for about three minutes may lessen the health impacts of over-sitting.”⁷ These mini-breaks, which could be as few as 15 steps, had the power to improve blood sugar control, while minimally interrupting work flow.⁸

Here’s where NEAT comes in.

NEAT, or non-exercise activity thermogenesis, refers to the energy expended for everything we do that is not sleeping, eating or sports-like exercise. ⁹ It includes the energy used doing everyday things like walking to work, housework, and even fidgeting. And, when it comes to counteracting the effects of sitting, focusing on NEAT is an excellent way to get those critical 15 to 30 minutes of added activity into our days.

You may be thinking, well, I exercise most days, so doesn’t that count? Unfortunately, no. NEAT is the activity you do above and beyond exercising. According to WebMD, even if we achieve the recommended 150 minutes of exercise per week, it’s still no match for seven or more hours per day spent sitting hunched over at our desks.

So how can desk workers increase NEAT at work?

Here are some ideas:

• Move every 30 minutes for three minutes. The Swedish study participants strolled the halls, walked up and down the stairs, marched in place, squatted and hopped to get some movement in.
• Set a fitness device or watch to alert you at the top of the hour. If moving every 30 minutes is too distracting, aim for a certain number of steps per hour, typically 250, and have your device notify you at 10 minutes to the hour if you haven’t met that goal.
• Use a standing desk for part or all of the day. Even though you aren’t moving around, your leg muscles need to be activated to keep you upright. Plus, standing burns more calories than sitting—an added benefit.
• Pace while on phone calls. Unless you have to take notes, walking and talking is a great way to get incremental movement in your day.
• Use a smaller water bottle, which forces you to get up several times to refill it.

For employees with disabilities who may not be able to engage in some of the above due to wheelchair use or other limitations, it’s still possible to get in some incremental exercise during the day. Wheeling oneself in a wheelchair around the office or home, chair yoga, using resistance bands or weights while seated, stretching, and even fidgeting (jiggling legs, tapping feet, or twirling a pen) all count.¹⁰

What about increasing NEAT at home?

There are lots of activities around the home that qualify as NEAT:

• Run around with kids, grandkids or pets.
• Sit on a stability ball while watching TV, which uses your core muscles.
• Garden or do yard work.
• Take a least a 10-minute walk each day. Do laps around your house on days you can’t walk outside.
• Do jumping jacks or squats a few times a day.
• Make your own meals. The energy expended shopping for ingredients and standing to chop and cook all increase your NEAT.
• Walk the dog.
• Put away laundry piecemeal: rather than using a laundry basket to carry clothes, make several trips with bundles of clothes in your arms.
• Do small household chores throughout the day to break up sitting time.

At its core, adding NEAT activities to our day is a fairly simple, yet extremely effective way to counteract the effects of sitting. All it takes is an additional 15 to 30 minutes of any kind of movement that would otherwise default into sitting time.

For help devising a strategy that includes ways to up your employees’ physical activity and improve overall well-being, contact us at connect@webmd.net.

We’ve long known that our Condition Management Program is top-notch—and now we’ve got proof.

To receive the Population Health Program Accreditation, recipients must meet the nine standards set out by the NCQA. We’re proud to share that all five core conditions addressed by our Condition Management Program have met these nine standards. These conditions include:

• Asthma;
• Diabetes;
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD);
• Coronary artery disease (CAD), which includes hypertension; and
• Heart failure (HF).

We’re particularly proud to have achieved this accreditation. Not only because this is the very first time we’ve submitted an application for it—demonstrating strong performance of the functions outlined in the standards, but also because NCQA prides itself on setting standards that are purposely high to encourage organizations to continuously enhance their quality. The standards are also intended to help organizations achieve the highest level of performance possible and create an environment of continuous improvement.

About WebMD Health Services’ Condition Management Program

Helping participants who are managing chronic conditions is an important part of what we do every day at WebMD Health Services. Targeted offerings include:

• Personalized health coaching. Participants partner with certified health coaches who provide the structure, support and motivation to help people keep chronic conditions under control through diet, exercise, medication adherence and mental health strategies.
• Condition-specific programs, like our Daily Habits programs. These digital programs provide people with actionable tools to manage heart disease, diabetes, and chronic lung disease and make lifestyle modifications like quitting tobacco. The programs divide a health goal into small, manageable actions each day to increase the likelihood of forming healthy, long-lasting habits.
• Offering incentives is a great way to encourage employees with chronic conditions to engage in healthy lifestyle changes. Incentives are often provided for signing up with a health coach, or achieving an improved health indicator, like a healthy blood pressure range.
• Wellness challenges. Challenges are another way to get employees with chronic conditions engaged. Whether it’s a group step challenge or an individual challenge focused on stress reduction, challenges give participants the structure and support to make positive changes over time—all while having a bit of fun.

About NCQA

NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. NCQA’s website (ncqa.org) also contains information to help consumers, employers and others make more informed health care choices. NCQA Accreditation standards are developed with input from various stakeholders and resources: health plans, population health management industry leaders and organizations, an expert panel and standing committees.

What the NCQA has to say about the Population Health Program Accreditation

“The Population Health Management program moves us in greater alignment with the increased focus on person-centered population health management,” said Margaret E. O’Kane, President, NCQA. “Not only does it add value to existing quality improvement efforts; it also demonstrates an organization’s highest level of commitment to improving the quality of care that meets people’s needs.”

If you are interested in learning more about how our NCQA-accredited Condition Management Program can help members of your population who are managing a chronic condition, contact us at connect@webmd.net.

Mental vs. emotional health—what’s the difference?

While we sometimes use the terms “mental health” and “emotional health” interchangeably, they really are two different things:

Mental health is an overarching term which includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act.¹ It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. It shouldn’t be confused with mental illness, which refers to a diagnosable mental disorder, like clinical depression, clinical anxiety, substance use disorder, eating disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Emotional health is a subset or aspect of mental health and refers to our “ability to cope with both positive and negative emotions, including our awareness of them.” In general, emotionally healthy people tend to have good coping mechanisms for negative emotions.

Mental and emotional health work as a sort of tag team. Mental health helps us process information; emotional health is our ability to manage and express feelings which are based upon the information we’ve processed. Sometimes conditions we might be experiencing can hinder our ability to regulate our emotions. For example, if our cognitive functioning is impaired by anxiety, we might respond out of character to a last-minute change in plans or having to meet a new person.

How can we boost emotional health?

We certainly can’t control every situation in life and experiencing “negative” emotions is part of being human. Fortunately, there are things we can do to work on our emotional wellness so we can handle the challenges that life throws our way and respond appropriately. The National Institutes of Health Emotional Wellness Toolkit has some great tips for boosting emotional health, including ways to work on resilience, reducing stress, getting quality sleep, strengthening social connections, coping with loss, and being mindful.²

What can organizations do to support emotional health?

Well-being programs offer a range of tools to support emotional health and help employees improve their ability to deal with challenging situations. If you don’t have access to a well-being program, you can still support employees with standalone, or point solutions, many of which are offered by health plans.

• Resiliency training. Resilience is our ability to deal with adversity and recover quickly after experiencing a challenging time, and it’s key to helping employees cope in the workplace. Resiliency training can help employees build skills to manage emotions, remain calm, cope with stress, take on new challenges, reframe setbacks, and improve thought processes.
• Stress management. Stress is an inevitable part of life, and a certain amount of stress can spur us to do our best work. But when it becomes unmanageable, it can lead to burnout. Some tools you can offer employees to reduce stress include:
  • Mindfulness or meditation apps
  • Virtual or onsite yoga or tai chi classes
  • Access to a health coach

• Support for managers. This is a group that deserves special attention when it comes to emotional health. Managers absorb stress from employees who report to them and respond to demands from those above them. Support managers by creating forums that allow them to talk about stress and seek out social support. Be sure to firmly communicate that getting enough sleep and exercise, eating well, and practicing self-care are not indulgent. Finally, giving managers to the tools to have conversations about emotional health with their employees can also be a huge help in creating a healthy working environment for all.
• Convenient access to counselors. Employees should know that they don’t need to be having a mental health crisis to benefit from regularly discussing emotions with an impartial resource. Access to therapists via apps, chat, and text are becoming popular ways to tend to our mental health just as we do our physical health.
• Time off. It goes without saying, but an important aspect of managing emotions includes the ability to turn off work for a while. Encourage employees to take advantage of paid time off and perhaps add a mental health day or two to your benefits package.

We should also note that it’s important for leadership to set the tone from the top that caring for our emotional and mental health is important. A powerful way to achieve this is to appoint a senior leader to be a wellness champion. This person can serve as an ambassador for all things well-being, and be a positive role model, including possibly sharing a testimonial or two to further destigmatize the topic of mental and emotional health.

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Studies continue to be published showing that the mental health crisis isn’t getting any better. In fact, Mercer’s 2022 Inside Employees’ Minds© study found that work-life balance remains a top-three concern, and half of employees say they feel exhausted on a typical day.³ While some of the fixes need to come from how work and the workload is structured, it’s clear that giving employees the tools to cope with stress, setbacks, and challenges are a great way to support the emotional aspects of mental health.

About our research

In September 2022, with the help of Blue Research, WebMD Health Services conducted a survey to better understand employee experiences and perceptions of their employers’ DEI efforts, and whether those programs and policies had made a positive difference in their work life.

In general, employees felt that their employers’ DEI&B efforts fell short. More than 60% said their company is not doing enough, and nearly two-thirds said they would benefit if their company were truly committed to DEI&B policies. And, almost half (46%) have personally experienced situations inconsistent with DEI&B, i.e., feeling like an outsider or that their opinions and perspectives were not always valued.

What is belonging at work?

As a relative newcomer in the inclusion space, we also wanted to explore the concept of “belonging” in our survey and understand how respondents felt their workplaces fostered it (or didn’t). But before we share our results, let’s take a moment and define what belonging is as it pertains to the workplace.

Great Place to Work® defines belonging as “an employee’s sense that their uniqueness is accepted and even treasured by their organization and colleagues.” In other words, it means valuing the different parts of a person’s identity – like being a parent, a member of a certain race, or a person’s sexual orientation.¹

The Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) believes belonging at work means employees:

•  Are not only able to share individual perspectives and ideas, but also are encouraged to do so and are recognized for their contributions.
•  Feel like they can be authentic at work without negative consequences and don’t feel the need to hide any part of themselves to fit in.
•  Develop meaningful relationships with colleagues, creating trust and a sense of caring.²

Why is belonging so important in workplaces right now?

According to Deloitte, the isolation of the pandemic, remote work, domestic and global political instability, the social justice movement, and even climate change have made us feel polarized, less stable, and volatile.³ Trust in government institutions is falling and ties to communities are weakening, too.

Our survey echoed these sentiments. Nearly nine in 10 respondents said they worry about the impact of these macro environment factors on their financial, physical, and emotional well-being. Headlines about the Great Resignation and quiet quitting also remind us how employees are reevaluating their relationship with work these days.

So it’s understandable that people are trying to find a sense of belonging and stability in the organizations they come to work for every day. In fact, Deloitte’s Human Capital Trends report ranked ‘Belonging’ as the top human capital issue that organizations face today.⁴

Employees in our survey were particularly critical of efforts to support belonging. So how did the respondents in our survey feel their organizations were faring when it comes to belonging?

Overall, fifty-seven percent of employees felt their companies fell short in ensuring that they felt included and valued. This is compared with 43% of respondents citing diversity, 53% citing equity, and 48% citing inclusion as needing improvement. LGBTQ employees struggle more than other employee segments with belonging, with 65% reporting that companies need to do a better job of fostering belonging, and two in five reporting that they feel undervalued.

When asked about specific situations in the workplace that led to a lack of belonging…

• One in 5 said they have felt disconnected or unfairly excluded;
• One-third of employees did not always feel valued in the workplace; and
• Nearly 1 in 5 said they have been treated differently based on what they look like or have felt unwanted.

While these sentiments may be due, in part, to the fact that initiatives focused specifically on belonging are slightly less prevalent, these findings do suggest there is an opportunity for employers to focus on efforts to increase feelings of belonging at work.

How a focus on belonging can benefit your organization.

Aside from the obvious personal benefits to employees, organizations who focus on belonging also stand to benefit from:

• Improved employee well-being and job performance. Feeling like you belong at work can impact multiple dimensions of well-being. Mental health clearly suffers when you feel excluded, and so can all-important social connections. And since all aspects of our well-being are interconnected, declines in mental health may lead to physical health concerns down the road. All of which adds up to an employee who may be distracted and less productive at work.

• Increased engagement. It’s not surprising that feeling “seen” also has a direct impact on employee engagement. Recent Workhuman research found that about a third of workers said they are more engaged when they feel seen and 40% said their performance improves. Focusing on belonging also increases psychological safety on teams, a known engagement booster.

• A better bottom line. Research from BetterUp found that high belonging was linked to a 56% increase in job performance, a 50% drop in turnover risk, and a 75% reduction in sick days.⁵ BetterUp estimates that for a 10,000-person company, this would result in annual savings of more than $52M.

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Our research and many other studies confirm that employees overwhelmingly want to work for a company that values workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion. Organizations who do place a priority on inclusivity reap the benefits of the unique insights and perspectives of a diverse workforce, tend to have higher engagement, and are also more profitable than those with less diversity.⁶ It seems the next step in the evolution toward an even more inclusive workplace might be a greater focus on efforts to ensure employees feel valued and seen for their work.

What is a chronic disease?

According to the CDC, a chronic disease lasts more than one year and requires ongoing medical treatment. Common chronic diseases include heart disease, cancer, diabetes, stroke, lung disease, kidney disease, and Alzheimer’s. Many of these chronic conditions are caused and exacerbated by certain lifestyle behaviors, like smoking, poor nutrition, lack of exercise, and excessive alcohol consumption.

Supporting populations with chronic conditions—a benefit for both employees and organizations.

Medical experts agree we are likely to continue to see an increase in the prevalence of chronic conditions among Americans. And, we don’t yet know whether the long-term effects of COVID-19 will eventually be added to the list.

So, it’s clear that employers will need to continue to aid employees in this space. Here’s why it’s in their best interest to do so:

• Reduced absenteeism/presenteeism. Studies show that when organizations invest in well-being programs, absenteeism costs fall.
• Greater talent attraction and retention. What does well-being mean to employees these days? A lot. In fact, it can influence the decision to stay with a company or join a new organization. Providing resources to manage health issues and overall well-being could be a differentiator.
• Increased productivity and engagement. A study by Optum® and the National Business Group on Health found that investment in multiple dimensions of well-being is correlated with high levels of employee productivity, loyalty, and employee well-being.
• Reduced healthcare claims. A recent study showed that lifestyle changes offer potential savings in “avoided discrete medical costs.” Plus, as we’ve long maintained, there are benefits of focusing on employee well-being that can’t be easily quantified—many of which are listed above.

We know that supporting people with chronic conditions benefits both the employee and the organization. But how, exactly, should employers go about helping their staff manage their health? We have a few ideas.

How to support your employees with chronic conditions.

Leverage the tools in your well-being platform.

Your well-being platform includes many tools that can help this population.

• Personalized health coaching is one of the most effective tools for managing a chronic condition. At WebMD Health Services, participants partner with certified health coaches who provide the structure, support, and motivation to help people keep chronic conditions under control through diet, exercise, medication adherence, and mental health strategies.
• Condition-specific programs, like our Daily Habits program, give people actionable tools to manage heart disease, diabetes, and chronic lung disease and make lifestyle modifications like quitting tobacco. The programs divide a health goal into small, manageable actions each day to increase the likelihood of forming healthy, long-lasting habits.
• Incentives are a great way to get employees with chronic conditions to engage with your well-being program. For example, you might provide an incentive for signing up with a health coach, or tie the incentive to achieving an improved health indicator, like a healthy blood sugar range.
• Wellness challenges promote a culture of well-being with a bit of healthy competition, and are another way to get employees with chronic conditions engaged. Whether it’s a group step challenge or an individual challenge focused on stress reduction, challenges give participants the structure and support to make positive changes over time—all while having a bit of fun.

Consider how medical plans play a role.

Look at your health plans and other benefits to see if they offer support for chronic conditions.

• Leverage disease management programs. These programs help members understand and manage their condition, and may even include high-touch services like counseling or on-call nurse-lines.² Encourage employees to participate if they are contacted by their health plan.
• Continue to offer telemedicine. Online doctor visits remain popular and convenient for those who need to stay connected to their doctor and adhere to a treatment plan.
• Give guidance for choosing a health plan. Many companies offer consumer-driven health plans, which feature low premiums but high deductibles. These may not be the best option for employees who are heavy healthcare users. Use good communication to ensure employees know exactly what they are signing up for during your annual enrollment. Consider having someone from the health plan speak about the offerings in a company-wide meeting to help employees choose a plan that matches their needs.

Equip managers with the right resources.

Before a manager can offer assistance to an employee affected with a chronic condition, the employee needs to feel comfortable even bringing it up.

This starts with leadership. Modeling healthy behaviors—like taking time off, setting boundaries, and talking openly about physical and mental health—sends the message to employees that health is a priority in the workplace.

To allow managers to respond quickly with empathy and action when an employee opens up, provide training to:

• Increase awareness of common chronic diseases and what an employee might be going through.
• Work with the employee to make sure they have the flexibility to go to the doctor or manage flare-ups.
• Ensure managers know how to help, for example, which actions can they approve on their own—like working from home—and what they’ll need to involve HR for, like disability leave.
• Reassess working conditions and flexibility. This might mean working from home permanently or a few days a week, or limiting certain job functions like heavy lifting or sitting/standing too long.

Of course, no discussion of chronic disease would be complete without a message about prevention. Lifestyle modifications—quitting tobacco, eating more nutritious foods, being physically active—continue to be the best way to keep chronic conditions from developing in the first place. So, if you have a well-being program, you’re one step ahead: leverage the program to help those who are managing conditions now, and use it to aid others in preventing future disease.

If you need help developing solutions to engage your population in better managing their health, visit our website or contact us at connect@webmd.net.

Related Content:

• Blog: What Should Be Included in a Well-Being Program
• Blog: 19 Ways To Improve Well-Being in the Workplace
• Blog: Do Workplace Wellness Programs Really Work?

Recent data on mental health in the U.S. is pretty sobering:

• A 2021 State of Mental Health in America report found that:
  • 19% of adults experienced a mental illness, an increase of 1.5 million people over the previous year.
  • Suicidal ideation among adults is increasing—up 460,000 people since last year.
• A study conducted by the CDC noted that from August 2020 to February 2021, the percentage of adults with recent symptoms of an anxiety or a depressive disorder increased from 36.4% to 41.5%.
• People reported specific negative impacts on their mental health and well-being for a Kaiser Family Foundation tracking poll, including difficulty sleeping (36%) or eating (32%); increased alcohol consumption or substance use (12%); and worsening chronic conditions (12%) due to worry and stress over the coronavirus.
• A team of researchers reported in Harvard Business Review that 85% of respondents in their study said their general well-being had declined since the pandemic; 89% reported their workplace well-being had declined.

These statistics make it clear that we need to do more to make mental health a priority in our lives. Given that we spend most of our waking hours working, it’s paramount workplaces play a significant role in the effort.

Here are three ways employers can help.

1. Urge employees to focus on self-care.

Self-care works best as a prevention rather than an intervention. Offer employees ideas for what they can do to support their mental wellness over time. This includes recommendations like:

• Check in with yourself. Sit in the moment and describe how you’re feeling. If you notice any of the common warning signs of mental illness—such as feeling sad or withdrawn for more than two weeks or experiencing drastic changes in mood, behavior, personality, or sleeping habits—talk to someone.
• Socialize with others safely. Experts say social interaction is key to our mental health.
• Continue to get outside for fresh air and sunlight.
• Make even a small amount of exercise a priority each day. A 15-minute walk, some simple stretches, or squats during a virtual meeting is all it takes.
• Plan something to look forward to—a nice meal, a fun activity with a partner or kids, a day spent hiking on a nearby trail.
• Check in on friends and loved ones. That social connection is important not only for them, but also for you!
• Doing good makes us feel good, so encourage employees to engage in some local community service. Even better, do it as a team!
• Continue to enforce boundaries between work and home life, ending workdays on time and observing real weekends.
• Make a list of the things within your control and the things you have no control over. It’s essential to make that distinction and use your time and energy to focus on tasks that are within your control.
• Dedicate at least 15 minutes each day for a “brain break.” This can be meditation, deep breathing exercises, or simply practicing gratitude for the good things in our lives.

2. Make the importance of good mental health part of your corporate culture.

Increasing emotional wellness at work starts with talking about it regularly in your employee communications, promoting your resources, and sponsoring events and discussions about mental health. Here are a few suggestions:

• Observe or hold events around nationally recognized mental health awareness months, like Suicide Awareness Month in September and Mental Health Month in May. Think lunch & learns, guest speakers, promotional items, and similar events.
• Create an employee resource group (ERG) dedicated to mental health. Johnson & Johnson’s mental health ERG members serve as “diplomats” who provide resources, education, and support for mental health to other colleagues. The group also trains members on how to spot signs of mental health problems in coworkers.
• Provide employees a forum to share their stories and struggles with mental health. Videos on workplace social media are especially powerful. Make sure to feature key leaders to help normalize mental health at all levels and show their support for mental health initiatives in the workplace.
• Promote your Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The EAP is probably one of the most underutilized yet hugely valuable benefits you offer, so be specific about the services it provides.
• Include mental health content in every issue of your monthly health and well-being newsletter.
• Leverage the employee benefits enrollment period to promote mental health benefits just as you would physical health benefits.
• Form support groups on workplace social media around common mental health concerns like anxiety or depression.
• Recommunicate policies on paid time off, family leave, extended leave, or sabbaticals. If you added new benefits at the beginning of the pandemic, people might need a reminder.

3. Give managers tools to support their team’s mental health.

Not every manager is comfortable talking about mental health. But if they have the right tools, the conversation can be much easier. Create a mental health managers’ toolkit with content on:

• Checking in on mental health regularly with team members. Include tips for getting the conversation going beyond the typical “I’m fine” response.
• Where to go for what. Provide a list of the company’s mental health resources that a manager can pull out quickly during a meeting.
• How to model good mental health behaviors. List the ways managers can show how they make mental health a priority in their own lives—scheduling exercise, not working on weekends, taking time off—in addition to sharing their own struggles and letting team members know it’s OK to take a mental health day.
• How to build mental health care into the workday. List some strategies managers can use to normalize the prioritization of mental health, such as “mental health minutes” at the start of team meetings or blocking time on calendars for a mental health break—whether that’s meditation or just taking a walk.
• Ways a manager can be helpful. Sometimes an employee needs someone to listen, and other times they need a solution for what they are dealing with. Share ideas for how managers can adjust workloads, negotiate more reasonable due dates, or reassign work to allow employees time off to recharge.

Keep in mind that all ideas to improve mental health in the workplace will take time to roll out, and it may take some time before employees feel comfortable enough to access mental health benefits. But with greater awareness that taking care of our mental wellness is just as important as taking care of clinical health—and a concerted employer effort to support employees in the workplace—we can start to make some real progress.

If you need help developing mental wellness benefits and encouraging your employees to use them, visit our website or contact us at connect@webmd.net.

Related Content:

• Blog: How To Talk About Mental Health in the Workplace
• Blog: 7 Ideas To Support Your Population’s Mental Health
• Blog: Heading Back To the Office? Keep Employee Well-Being Front and Center

As of this writing, just over 48% of Americans over the age of 12 are fully vaccinated.¹ This is concerning to health experts, especially considering the rise in delta variant cases. For some perspective on why it’s so important to get the COVID-19 vaccine, we chatted with our Medical Director, Dr. James Beckerman. Here’s a recap of our conversation.

Why is it important for everyone who is eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine?

Getting beyond this pandemic, or at least managing it, is entirely in our hands—actually in our upper arms! Our decision to get vaccinated not only protects us from getting sick but also protects people around us. Especially as these new variants come around, even if you’re not concerned about getting sick yourself, I think we’d all agree that we want to prevent those around us from getting sick. These new variants are not inevitable, and if we do the work now and create more herd immunity, then we’ll continue to protect our communities from future variants moving forward.

We know certain groups of people may not be well-protected from the virus due to medical conditions, even if they do get the vaccine. Can you share a bit about this and how increasing the vaccination rate can help?

It’s important to reflect and recognize that there are people all around us who have challenges related to the immune system—for example, those receiving chemotherapy, those with certain types of cancer, people with an immune disorder like Crohn’s disease or rheumatoid arthritis who may be taking immunotherapy drugs that suppress their immune system. We honestly don’t know if the vaccination response is that effective for these individuals. So when people with healthier immune systems get vaccinated, it not only helps them, but it also creates an immunity shield around those who may be more vulnerable. Keep in mind that no vaccine is perfect, so we rely on more and more people getting vaccinated to dilute the imperfections of the vaccine and make it more effective for all of us.

How do you talk to your patients who are hesitant about getting the vaccine?

I think it’s important as a physician to not be in a position of judgment, but one of education and counsel in a relationship based on trust. I ask patients routinely if they’ve been vaccinated, and if they haven’t, I ask them about their thought process, how they made the decision they came to, and try to get them to think about how they made other big health decisions in their lives—based upon science and the recommendations of experts.

Generally speaking, we’ve taken the politics out of many other healthcare decisions we make, and I think we’d do well to follow that same rubric for making decisions about vaccines: follow the data and listen to the doctors and medical and scientific leadership. Even though doctors are not perfect, they have your health and interests in mind, not your votes or your political representation. They’re just doing their jobs the way they would for you if you had any other health concern.

Some patients I’ve spoken to about getting the vaccine said they’d think about it a bit more, but it’s always hard to know what they’ll end up doing. In the end, I see my role as one of being a trusted partner in making healthcare decisions. I also lead with empathy—if we aren’t empathetic, we aren’t living up to our part of the bargain either.

As many head back into the office, we’re curious to know the risks—if any—in situations where some coworkers are vaccinated and some are not. What are some precautions we can take if we’re concerned?

I acknowledge that some people being vaccinated and others unvaccinated might cause stress, distraction, lower productivity, and make some teams less cohesive. The good news is that as a vaccinated individual, your risk of contracting the virus or getting very sick from it is low, even if you’re spending time with someone in the office who’s not vaccinated. You can lower your risk even further by keeping a reasonable distance and continuing to wear a mask. You may feel peer pressure to not wear a mask if nobody else is, but hopefully we can get beyond that and just decide we’re going to be respectful of other’s decisions, and they’re going to be respectful of ours.

If an organization is hesitant to require employees to get the vaccination, what are some ways it can educate employees so that they might change their minds?

It’s important to remember that this is a healthcare decision, like many others that people are making constantly. And when we think about what is effective in helping people change behavior to get healthier, guilt doesn’t work, punishing doesn’t work, making people feel bad about it doesn’t work. What does work is respect, understanding, and listening to their concerns. People also respond to other people—for example, if you hear a story about a person who had a challenging experience with a particular disease, you might become more motivated to behave differently or donate money to support a cause. I think a similar strategy—using testimonials and employee stories—can work for this situation.

One last point—if we think about it, historically there are many work and school settings where certain vaccines are required and have been for many years. I recognize that some people would like to see vaccines have a higher level of approval beyond an emergency use authorization before vaccine requirements would be commonplace. But I also feel that some may be using the absence of traditional FDA approval as a reason to not get the vaccine yet.

As we wrap up, we’re wondering if you can offer some hope for the future?

Yes, a reminder that our vaccine program is working. Fewer people are getting sick, and fewer people are dying since the pandemic came into full force. And so the good news is because most people have gotten their first shot in the US, we are experiencing the benefits. But, as with anything, you don’t want to rest on your laurels. We want to recognize that as variants crop up and we head into flu season in the fall—where people will be exposed to other pathogens that make them sick—it’ll be time to double down and remind ourselves why we worked so hard to get to this point, and really lean on the power of our community to get to the next step.

Related Content:

• Blog: Heading Back To the Office? Keep Employee Well-Being Front and Center
• Blog: How Building a Resilient Workforce Can Help Employees and Organizations
• Blog: 7 Ideas To Support Your Population’s Mental Health

Recently, we revamped our health assessment as part of our transition to the WebMD ONE platform. Dr. Goetzel played a critical role in creating the ONE Assessment, which includes new question sets, an updated scoring algorithm, and a cleaner results page. As a result, Dr. Goetzel has some great insight as you consider what your organization’s health assessment will look like in 2021.

What can a health assessment tell organizations about their population? In other words, why would they want to offer it?

In my opinion, the health assessment is the cornerstone of any well-being program. It’s really the first step in the process and gives us real data we can use to target the right programs. I see three reasons to offer it:

1. It provides an opportunity for participants to improve their health.

The assessment helps individuals learn about where they stand when it comes to health and well-being—and which tools and resources they can take advantage of to make positive changes. Essentially, it offers participants a built-in mechanism to direct their activities moving forward.

2. When structured properly, the health assessment can direct or triage the individual into the next intervention or counseling phase.

If they have a health concern, there is automatically a resource they can reach out to—whether that’s a website, live health coach, or digital chat. We can also easily triage individuals into the right program, such as weight loss or diabetes management.

3. It allows for health data collection and monitoring for an employer.

The health assessment is the fastest and cheapest way to collect information from your populations. In many ways, it’s complementary to other data, like insurance claims. If the results show significant health risks, it’s a way to predict what services may be needed down the road and allow you to see what’s happening over time. For example, are cholesterol levels going down or trending up?

What are some best practices when it comes to the health assessment questions themselves?

To track risk factors over time, I feel the questions should be consistent. They should also be easy to understand and short, so participants don’t struggle through them. As we created the new ONE Assessment, our Clinical Advisory Board members and Johns Hopkins University partners extensively reviewed all the questions, answers, and algorithms to ensure brevity, ease of understanding, and alignment with clinical factors.

How have health assessments evolved over the years? Are there things we ask about now that weren’t included before?

Yes. In the past, we tended to focus on physical health—risk factors for developing chronic conditions, exercise, nutrition, tobacco use, and other details. We are still asking those important questions, but the ONE Assessment layered in new aspects of physical health, like sleep quality, fatigue, alcohol use, pain management, prescription drug use, and dental and vision concerns.

Importantly, we are also now addressing some social determinants of health. For example, we know that sex and gender, as well as ethnic origin, can influence health, so we ask questions about that. We also touch on mental health concerns like depression, anxiety, stress, and social connectedness—this is really a brand new area for health assessments.

How do you feel about offering an incentive for completing a health assessment?

Although a typical health assessment only takes 15 minutes or less to complete, I’m still in favor of offering an incentive to drive up participation. Quite simply, it gets people to do it and many will start their journey to better health because of it. So, maybe a $25 gift card, a credit towards medical premiums, anything that will get someone to sit down and take the assessment.

Why do some employees push back and not want to take the health assessment?

The main issue is that participants are afraid that the information they share is not confidential, and their employer may find out about it. The truth is that the employer cannot receive an individual’s data, and reports are masked to preserve confidentiality.

Another issue is the general concern about data breaches. And while this can happen, you have to reassure people that every precaution is being taken to protect their personal health data. WebMD Health Services has received the gold standard in health data security—the HITRUST CSF Certification—which gives our participants that extra assurance.

Lastly, people often just don’t understand why they should take the health assessment. What’s in it for us? In the past, people viewed health assessments as a scare tactic—a way to uncover health risks and pressure the employee to engage in a particular program.

Now that the health assessment is more holistic, including social and emotional health, we need to make sure people know what they could gain by completing it. For example, explaining how important it is to receive a big picture view of their total health can go far in convincing people to complete the assessment. We also need to present the results clearly so people can understand them and take action.

Is there an optimal time and frequency to administer the assessment?

We recommend asking employees to take the assessment once a year, around the same time of year. We usually like to see about a 12-month interval between baseline and follow-up assessments, so it’s good to have it as part of a routine—like open enrollment—so you can compare results year over year.

What insights can organizations expect from reporting?

Often, senior management just wants a number that shows how healthy the population is. The ONE Assessment gives that kind of scorecard number, which shows an aggregated summary view and includes recommendations for interventions that can help to move the needle in the right direction. It can also provide a cohort view that shows the same group of individuals over time—this is a way to get more granular and see how people’s health is improving from year to year.

Reports provide incredible insights into health trends over time. If, for instance, reports indicate that more people are becoming at risk for diabetes, it allows an organization to plan offerings that can help lower that risk. On the other hand, if reports indicate that the risk of a diabetes diagnosis is trending down, an organization can learn that their current offerings are likely working, and that they can continue offering and promoting the programs that help in this area.

What else should employers and health plans look for when choosing a meaningful health assessment?

A few things come to mind: brand name recognition; a good, honest, and current reputation; linkages to Consumer Reports on Health; and clinical backing. Employers and health plans should also know how the health assessment was created—or the methodology—and the backgrounds of those who helped develop it.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Sure. Health assessments alone don’t necessarily lead to better health—there has to be good communication about it before and concerted follow-up after, whether that’s with counselors, health coaches, through motivational techniques, or other modalities. Improving health is all about changing behavior, and that’s not an easy thing to do by yourself—you need the right support to create new lifelong healthy habits.

Our closing thoughts.

A health assessment is a great tool for both organizations and individuals. Organizations can understand aggregate health risks and target the right programs to their populations. At the same time, individuals can see a current picture of their health and receive recommendations to improve their well-being. But to get the best possible results out of the health assessment, organizations should ensure that they’re choosing the right health assessment—one that is robust, holistic, and clinically-backed—and implement the appropriate participant follow-up.

For more information about our new ONE Assessment, contact us at connect@webmd.net.