Transparency is extremely important to us, so we are letting you know that we may receive a commission on some of links you click on from this page. See our disclaimer.

We recently ran a series of pieces focusing on mental health in the workplace — the impact, effects, and possible solutions — as well as the ways a well-run workplace wellness program can offer opportunities for positive results. Today, we highlight a scorecard.

The scorecard comes from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which states: ” e CDC Worksite Health ScoreCard (HSC) is a tool designed to help employers assess whether they have implemented evidence-based health promotion interventions or strategies in their worksites to prevent heart disease, stroke, and related conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity.”

The specific elements were noted in a new report published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine addresses many of these. It is titled “Mental Health in the Workplace: A Call to Action Proceedings from the Mental Health in the Workplace: Public Health Summit.”

It outlines “Organizational-Level Recommendations from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Worksite Health ScoreCard,” which includes:

• Include references to improving or maintaining employee health and safety in the business objectives, core values, or organizational mission statement.
• Have a strategic plan that includes goals and measurable organizational objectives for the worksite health and well-being program.
• Have an annual budget or receive dedicated funding for health and well-being programs.
• Conduct employee health risk appraisals (HRAs) or health assessments (HAs) and provide individual feedback plus health education resources for follow-up action.
• Use incentives to increase participation in health promotion programs.
• Conduct ongoing evaluations of health and well-being programming that use multiple data sources to inform decision-making.
• Support employee volunteerism.
• Extend access to key components of the program to all workers, including hard to reach workers (e.g., telecommuters, contract workers, night shift workers, part-time workers).
• Provide an employee assistance program (EAP).
• Provide and support flexible work scheduling policies.
• Make health and well-being programs available to family members.

It also outlines the “Stress Management, Mental Health Program, and Substance Use Recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Worksite Health ScoreCard,” which includes:

• Provide and promote free or subsidized lifestyle coaching/counseling or self-management programs that equip employees with skills and motivation to set and meet their personal stress management goals.
• Provide dedicated space that is quiet where employees can engage in relaxation activities.
• Provide training for managers that improves their ability to recognize and reduce workplace stress-related issues.
• Provide opportunities for employee participation in organizational decisions regarding workplace issues that affect job stress.
• Provide access to alcohol and other substance use screening followed by brief intervention and referral for treatment when appropriate.
• Provide a health plan with insurance benefits that include substance use disorder prevention and treatment.