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

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Article - McKinsey Health Institute

Present company included: Prioritizing mental health and well-being for all
– A McKinsey Health Institute survey across 15 countries highlights how employers can make mental health a reality, especially for... young workers.
Podcast - McKinsey Health Institute

Beyond burnout: What helps—and what doesn’t
– Despite leaders’ best efforts, worldwide burnout persists. New research reveals why—and how to help employees begin... to thrive again.
Interview - McKinsey Health Institute

Leading with compassion: Prioritizing workplace mental health
– Mental-health advocate Poppy Jaman identifies strategies companies could employ to improve the health and well-being of their... workforces.
Interview - McKinsey Health Institute

Toxic workplace behavior and employee burnout: Fix one, fix both
– Jerks at Work author Tessa West shares research and insights about the damaging effect of toxic behavior in the workplace... and offers strategies for effectively coping with it.
Article - McKinsey Health Institute

Heat waves, the war in Ukraine, and stigma: Gen Z’s perspectives on mental health
– A new McKinsey Health Institute survey finds that Gen Z may have higher levels of perceived stigma compared with other generations,... but they may be more accepting of people with mental illnesses.
Article

Employee mental health and burnout in Asia: A time to act
– By identifying factors affecting workplace mental health, leaders in Asia can take action to create happier, more inclusive, and... increasingly productive organizations.
Interactive - McKinsey Health Institute

Moving the needle on burnout: What does the data say?
– The interactive illustrates the opportunity for employers to address key workplace factors (toxic workplace behavior, inclusivity,... supportive growth environment, and sustainable work) and the potential impact on key outcomes (work engagement, job satisfaction, burnout symptoms, and intent to leave).
Article - McKinsey Health Institute

Addressing employee burnout: Are you solving the right problem?
– Employers have invested unprecedented resources in employee mental health and well-being. With burnout at all-time highs, leaders... wonder if they can make a difference. Our research suggests they can.
Article

Addressing the unprecedented behavioral-health challenges facing Generation Z
– A series of consumer surveys and interviews conducted by McKinsey finds Gen Zers reporting the least positive life outlook, including... lower levels of emotional and social well-being than older generations.
Podcast

The state of burnout for women in the workplace
– 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
– Employed parents cite apathy and fatigue in new survey.
Article

How affordable is mental healthcare? The long-term impact on financial health
– 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
– Just when leaders need fresh thinking and decisiveness, they tend to fall back on tried-and-true ways. Five actions can transform... your relationship with uncertainty and help you thrive.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Overcoming stigma: Three strategies toward better mental health in the workplace
– Employees are worried about their mental health as they return to the workplace after the COVID-19 pandemic. Stigma can exacerbate... their concerns, but employers can thwart its impact.
Article

Returning to work: Keys to a psychologically safer workplace
– Employers can potentially reduce stress and anxiety for their workers by considering mental health as part of a holistic on-site... return plan.
Article

Using digital tech to support employees’ mental health and resilience
– Poor mental health takes a heavy toll on individuals and businesses. New digital solutions can help employers provide personalized... support and make well-being a strategic focus for their organization.
Article

‘Back to human’: Why HR leaders want to focus on people again
– Chief human-resource officers in Europe say a shift to employee-centric policies is long overdue. The pandemic is a big factor... in their thinking, but process fatigue has been building for some time.
Article

National surveys reveal disconnect between employees and employers around mental health need
– National surveys of employers and employees provide insights into mental health needs of the US workforce and how employers can... best address them.
Article

Out of the shadows: Sustainably improving workplace mental health
– The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated preexisting workplace mental health challenges, creating a new imperative for leaders to... take a holistic and methodical approach to workplace mental health.
Article

Help your employees find purpose—or watch them leave
– Employees expect their jobs to bring a significant sense of purpose to their lives. Employers need to help meet this need, or... be prepared to lose talent to companies that will.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

How to turn everyday stress into ‘optimal stress’
– 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
– While the benefits of psychological safety are well established, a new survey suggests how leaders, by developing specific skills,... can create a safer and higher-performance work environment.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Mental health in the workplace: The coming revolution
– 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
– Leaders must actively manage the energy of their workforces, cultivate the quality of employee relationships, and demonstrate... a capacity for resilience to recharge their organizations during crises.
Article

Diverse employees are struggling the most during COVID-19—here’s how companies can respond
– New global research shows that despite companies’ recent efforts, diverse employees need more. Businesses should ask themselves... new questions for a changed workplace.
Article

Five ways to design a better mental-health future for a stressed-out workforce
– Almost 41 percent of Americans struggle with mental-health issues stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, but many companies remain... ill equipped to address the problem.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

The boss factor: Making the world a better place through workplace relationships
– Businesses looking to make an external social contribution should, paradoxically, look inside: improving workers’ job satisfaction... could be the single most important thing they do.
Article

Tuning in, turning outward: Cultivating compassionate leadership in a crisis
– Four qualities—awareness, vulnerability, empathy, and compassion—are critical for business leaders to care for people... in crisis and set the stage for business recovery.
Article

How to demonstrate calm and optimism in a crisis
– Six practices can help leaders build their self-awareness and guide their organizations through the challenges ahead.
Read more insights from our Organization Practice

To truly build a more resilient workforce and rebuild the economy in 2021 and beyond, employers should prioritize well-being, which is the state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy. Businesses should treat well-being as a tangible skill, a critical business input, and a measurable outcome.

Liz Hilton Segel Managing Partner, North America

Featured podcasts

Podcast

The search for purpose at work
– Purpose is personal, but companies play a critical role in how we express it.
Podcast

Grief, loss, burnout: Talking about complex feelings at work
– Leaders have always navigated emotional dynamics in the workplace—but not at the scale and intensity unleashed by the COVID-19... pandemic. Here’s how to map this shifting terrain.
Podcast

COVID-19 and behavioral health: Consequences for companies and employees
– The pandemic is exacerbating the US behavioral-health crisis, with stress, social isolation, and unemployment fueling up to $140... billion in added spending. A holistic approach to healthcare can help.

Featured Interviews

Author Talks: Why burnout is an epidemic—and what to do about it

– To solve the burnout epidemic, organizations need to look beyond traditional wellness perks.

Battling burnout: A conversation with resiliency expert Dr. Amit Sood
– 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
– Employers benefit when they help employees to prioritize mental wellness, thereby reducing the stigma of mental-health issues,... addressing disparities in their incidence and treatment, and providing support through formal structures and programs.

Improving mental health: An interview with One Mind’s Garen Staglin
– One Mind founder Garen Staglin knows the toll mental illness can take on individuals and families. He has dedicated his life to... mental-health advocacy and research—at home, at work, and beyond.

Author Talks: Dambisa Moyo on how boards can work better
– In her new book, Dambisa Moyo explores the role of corporate boards in the 21st century and how they need to adapt to greater... demands.

Author Talks: Hubert Joly on unleashing human magic
– 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
– 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
– The CEO of Hintsa Performance argues that well-being is the foundation of sustainable high performance—not a reward for... it.

Author Talks: Poet Maggie Smith on loss, creativity, and change
– 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
– 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
– 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
– Two renowned scholars and two McKinsey experts illuminate the leadership imperatives of our time: bringing people together, energizing... forward progress, and reimagining normalcy.

In one study more than 40 percent of respondents described a decline in mental health during the COVID-19 crisis, and nearly 40 percent of respondents said no one had called to ask, ‘How are you doing?’ Checking in on people is so important. It’s amazing, the extent to which it makes a difference.

Bryan Hancock Partner, Washington DC

Everyone needs more of this one skill
– Adaptability has helped employees thrive and grow during change. Here’s how to cultivate it quickly and at scale.

Making work meaningful from the C-suite to the frontline
– 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
– 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
– Organizations that foster psychological safety can reap many benefits to team health and performance.

Grief, loss, burnout: Navigating a new emotional landscape at work
– A discussion to help leaders address complex and uncomfortable topics in the midst of returning to offices.

Zoning in and out of stress
– 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
– The more you can connect purpose to recruiting, onboarding, and performance management, the more likely the benefits will build... upon one another.

What to do when you’re awake at 3 a.m.
– Maintenance insomnia, or difficulty staying asleep, is distressingly common, impacting our quality of life and cognitive abilities.... But these three techniques can help us fall and stay asleep.

Don’t stress out: how to build long-term resilience
– 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
– 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
– 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.