Well-being in the Workplace
This collection explores fostering mind, body, and sense of purpose in individuals, teams, and organizations for a more resilient workforce and improved well-being in the workplace
Interview
Author Talks: Cass Sunstein on the perils of habituation
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When we become too comfortable in our jobs and relationships, we can miss huge opportunities to grow and change. Harvard University...
Article - McKinsey Health Institute
Working nine to thrive
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Better aligning employment with modifiable drivers of health could unlock years of higher-quality life and create trillions of...
Podcast
Who is productive, and who isn’t? Here’s how to tell.
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More than 50 percent of workers say their productivity is down. Managers who understand what motivates different types of workers...
Article - McKinsey Health Institute
Reframing employee health: Moving beyond burnout to holistic health
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A new McKinsey Health Institute survey across 30 countries offers insights into how organizations can help create a workplace...
Interview
Author Talks: How to speak confidently when you’re put on the spot
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If you dread public speaking, small talk, or delivering feedback, you’re not alone. Matt Abrahams shares tips for mastering...
Article - McKinsey Health Institute
Present company included: Prioritizing mental health and well-being for all
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A McKinsey Health Institute survey across 15 countries highlights how employers can make mental health a reality, especially...
Podcast - McKinsey Health Institute
Beyond burnout: What helps—and what doesn’t
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Despite leaders’ best efforts, worldwide burnout persists. New research reveals why—and how to help employees begin...
Interview - McKinsey Health Institute
Leading with compassion: Prioritizing workplace mental health
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Mental-health advocate Poppy Jaman identifies strategies companies could employ to improve the health and well-being of their...
Interview - McKinsey Health Institute
Toxic workplace behavior and employee burnout: Fix one, fix both
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Jerks at Work author Tessa West shares research and insights about the damaging effect of toxic behavior in the workplace...
Article - McKinsey Health Institute
Heat waves, the war in Ukraine, and stigma: Gen Z’s perspectives on mental health
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A new McKinsey Health Institute survey finds that Gen Z may have higher levels of perceived stigma compared with other generations,...
Article
Employee mental health and burnout in Asia: A time to act
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By identifying factors affecting workplace mental health, leaders in Asia can take action to create happier, more inclusive,...
Interactive - McKinsey Health Institute
Moving the needle on burnout: What does the data say?
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The interactive illustrates the opportunity for employers to address key workplace factors (toxic workplace behavior, inclusivity,...
Article - McKinsey Health Institute
Addressing employee burnout: Are you solving the right problem?
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Employers have invested unprecedented resources in employee mental health and well-being. With burnout at all-time highs, leaders...
Article
Addressing the unprecedented behavioral-health challenges facing Generation Z
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A series of consumer surveys and interviews conducted by McKinsey finds Gen Zers reporting the least positive life outlook, including...
Podcast
The state of burnout for women in the workplace
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Women are doing more to support employee well-being but face higher stress levels as a result. Here’s how leaders can help....
Article
COVID-19 and burnout are straining the mental health of employed parents
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Employed parents cite apathy and fatigue in new survey.
Article
How affordable is mental healthcare? The long-term impact on financial health
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Those who report mental illness have disproportionately faced economic disadvantages and report greater financial stress.
Article
Future proof: Solving the ‘adaptability paradox’ for the long term
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Just when leaders need fresh thinking and decisiveness, they tend to fall back on tried-and-true ways. Five actions can transform...
Article - McKinsey Quarterly
Overcoming stigma: Three strategies toward better mental health in the workplace
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Employees are worried about their mental health as they return to the workplace after the COVID-19 pandemic. Stigma can exacerbate...
Article
Returning to work: Keys to a psychologically safer workplace
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Employers can potentially reduce stress and anxiety for their workers by considering mental health as part of a holistic on-site...
Article
Using digital tech to support employees’ mental health and resilience
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Poor mental health takes a heavy toll on individuals and businesses. New digital solutions can help employers provide personalized...
Article
‘Back to human’: Why HR leaders want to focus on people again
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Chief human-resource officers in Europe say a shift to employee-centric policies is long overdue. The pandemic is a big factor...
Article
National surveys reveal disconnect between employees and employers around mental health need
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National surveys of employers and employees provide insights into mental health needs of the US workforce and how employers can...
Article
Out of the shadows: Sustainably improving workplace mental health
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The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated preexisting workplace mental health challenges, creating a new imperative for leaders to...
Article
Help your employees find purpose—or watch them leave
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Employees expect their jobs to bring a significant sense of purpose to their lives. Employers need to help meet this need, or...
Article - McKinsey Quarterly
How to turn everyday stress into ‘optimal stress’
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Managed well, stress can be an ally rather than an enemy. Here’s how to use it to your advantage.
Survey
Psychological safety and the critical role of leadership development
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While the benefits of psychological safety are well established, a new survey suggests how leaders, by developing specific skills,...
Article - McKinsey Quarterly
Mental health in the workplace: The coming revolution
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Employees are in need and are demanding better coverage. Here’s how leading companies get mental health coverage right.
Article
Overcoming pandemic fatigue: How to reenergize organizations for the long run
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Leaders must actively manage the energy of their workforces, cultivate the quality of employee relationships, and demonstrate...
Article
Diverse employees are struggling the most during COVID-19—here’s how companies can respond
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New global research shows that despite companies’ recent efforts, diverse employees need more. Businesses should ask themselves...
Article
Five ways to design a better mental-health future for a stressed-out workforce
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Almost 41 percent of Americans struggle with mental-health issues stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, but many companies remain...
Article - McKinsey Quarterly
The boss factor: Making the world a better place through workplace relationships
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Businesses looking to make an external social contribution should, paradoxically, look inside: improving workers’ job satisfaction...
Article
Tuning in, turning outward: Cultivating compassionate leadership in a crisis
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Four qualities—awareness, vulnerability, empathy, and compassion—are critical for business leaders to care for people...
Featured podcasts
Podcast
The search for purpose at work
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Purpose is personal, but companies play a critical role in how we express it.
Podcast
Grief, loss, burnout: Talking about complex feelings at work
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Leaders have always navigated emotional dynamics in the workplace—but not at the scale and intensity unleashed by the COVID-19...
Podcast
COVID-19 and behavioral health: Consequences for companies and employees
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The pandemic is exacerbating the US behavioral-health crisis, with stress, social isolation, and unemployment fueling up to $140...
Featured Interviews
Author Talks: Why burnout is an epidemic—and what to do about it
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To solve the burnout epidemic, organizations need to look beyond traditional wellness perks.
Battling burnout: A conversation with resiliency expert Dr. Amit Sood
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A leading voice on psychological resilience believes that humans are built to tackle crises.
How employers can improve their approach to mental health at work
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Employers benefit when they help employees to prioritize mental wellness, thereby reducing the stigma of mental-health issues,...
Improving mental health: An interview with One Mind’s Garen Staglin
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One Mind founder Garen Staglin knows the toll mental illness can take on individuals and families. He has dedicated his life...
Author Talks: Dambisa Moyo on how boards can work better
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In her new book, Dambisa Moyo explores the role of corporate boards in the 21st century and how they need to adapt to greater...
Author Talks: Hubert Joly on unleashing human magic
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The former chairman and CEO of Best Buy describes the leadership principles required to thrive in capitalism’s next era....
Author Talks: Susan McPherson on building meaningful relationships—in business and in life
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In a new book, Susan McPherson offers a road map to unlocking a more meaningful life and enduring relationships.
How well-being improves performance: An interview with Annastiina Hintsa
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The CEO of Hintsa Performance argues that well-being is the foundation of sustainable high performance—not a reward for...
Author Talks: Poet Maggie Smith on loss, creativity, and change
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In her latest book, Maggie Smith writes about new beginnings as opportunities for transformation.
Author Talks: McKinsey Global Institute’s Peter Gumbel on searching for identity
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In his new book, Peter Gumbel grapples with the complexity of belonging in an increasingly global world.
Reenergizing an exhausted organization: A conversation with Admiral John Richardson
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The former chief of naval operations suggests strategies for leaders to avoid burnout and prevent pandemic fatigue.
Psychological safety, emotional intelligence, and leadership in a time of flux
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Two renowned scholars and two McKinsey experts illuminate the leadership imperatives of our time: bringing people together, energizing...
Featured blog posts
Everyone needs more of this one skill
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Adaptability has helped employees thrive and grow during change. Here’s how to cultivate it quickly and at scale.
Lessons in leadership and well-being from Bill George
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The former Medtronic CEO and Harvard Business School professor joined McKinsey leaders for a conversation on how to create, protect,...
Making work meaningful from the C-suite to the frontline
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By highlighting the impact work has across these five sources, leaders can create a greater sense of meaning for their people....
The future of the workplace: Embracing change and fostering connectivity
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Organizations must take three key actions to reimagine the workplace and its purpose in the future of work.
Promoting psychological safety starts with developing leaders
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Organizations that foster psychological safety can reap many benefits to team health and performance.
Grief, loss, burnout: Navigating a new emotional landscape at work
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A discussion to help leaders address complex and uncomfortable topics in the midst of returning to offices.
Zoning in and out of stress
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While it’s normal to navigate varying levels of stress every day, taking steps to manage that stress is key.
Foster individual purpose within your organization
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The more you can connect purpose to recruiting, onboarding, and performance management, the more likely the benefits will build...
What to do when you’re awake at 3 a.m.
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Maintenance insomnia, or difficulty staying asleep, is distressingly common, impacting our quality of life and cognitive abilities....
Don’t stress out: how to build long-term resilience
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While we often turn to quick external solutions, building long-term resilience to stress starts from within.
Sleep more, work better: tips on getting more zzz’s
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Adults need 7-9 hours of sleep per night to function at their best. Take these steps to sleep more and work better.
Leaders: It’s OK to not know everything
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More and more, leaders tell us they feel out of their usual comfort zone and on unstable ground. What’s the solution?
Additional Resources
Center for Societal Benefit through Healthcare
The Center deploys McKinsey’s global capabilities and resources to historically under-resourced areas of healthcare that are critical to the benefit of society.
COVID Response Center
The Center, which focuses on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, aspires to help safeguard lives, livelihoods, and communities on the path to the next normal.