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We were honored to be an Innovation Partner at the HLTH conference in Las Vegas, a major health innovation event with 10,000+ attendees. Our session on Workplace Loneliness and other highlights addressed key health issues affecting the business community.
We were proud to be an official Innovation Partner for last week’s HLTH conference in Las Vegas, one of the world’s largest health innovation events. With over 10,000 attendees ranging from large employers to health tech companies, the event highlighted many of the most pressing health issues impacting the business community.
Read on for takeaways from the session we led on Loneliness in the Workplace and other conference highlights.
In Today's Newsletter:
Lonely No More: The Case for Inclusive Belonging at Work
HLTH 2023 Roundup: Sessions Business Leaders Should Watch
Connecting Workplace Culture and Wellbeing: Headspace and LinkedIn Discuss Workplace Mental Health
Lonely No More
The Case for Inclusive Belonging at Work
We convened a panel discussion at HLTH to discuss the critical connections between addressing loneliness and creating a robust mental health program that meets the unique needs of a diverse workforce, emphasizing the importance of equity and inclusion.
What this means for your company: Earlier this year, the U.S. Surgeon Generalsounded the alarm on an epidemic of loneliness in the United States. Loneliness can negatively impact the health of your workers and your business, and leaders who recognize and address this challenge can create workplaces where team members feel connected and empowered.
Going further: Hear from some of the experts we convened at our HLTH event.
Natasha Bowman, best-selling author and workplace mental health leader made a compelling business case. “Loneliness has the same impact on your lifespan as smoking 15 cigarettes a day--I’ve been the head of HR for many organizations. We’ve had these initiatives for smoking cessation, we should be addressing the loneliness epidemic in the same way.”
In discussing the impact of return-to-office mandates on the loneliness epidemic, Twill CFO Bilal Khan said, “It’s about empowerment. When you give the employee the choice to live and work in the way they choose to…those that want to come back in make an active and collective effort to create social cohorts. The idea of empowering the individual to live and work in this new environment has been a big unlock for us [at Twill].”
Steven Levine, Co-Founder of the Health Action Alliance reflected on our recent Mental Health Equity at Work Summit, “The experts we spoke with last week encouraged us to think about DEIB beyond the traditional lenses, and think about people who may come from different religious beliefs, or who may be neurodiverse to ensure that you have intentional opportunities for your employees to feel connected.”
With over 100 sessions, HLTH 2023 offered insights across a range of issues including AI, health equity, new health tech innovations and more. We wanted to highlight a few sessions discussing important topics for employers heading into 2024.
The Future of Work: A Culture of Health that Supports and Inspires Jonathan Pas from Mercer moderated a conversation with Melissa Holthaus (H&R Block), Kenny Gardner (DaVita), Jill Smith (SRS Distribution) and Eric Cole (Scripps Health) discussing their strategies to build a workplace culture that attracts and retains employees while boosting productivity.
The Climate-Health Imperative: A Call to Action for Health Care and Biomedicine Dr. Leana Wen from the Washington Post hosted a conversation with Darla Silva (UNICEF USA) and Lloyd Minor (Stanford Medicine) discussing the impact of climate change on human health including heat, new infectious diseases, wildfires, flooding and more.
Embracing Differences: Health Equity in the Workplace Katie Scott from Mercer discussed strategies to address health disparities in increasingly diverse workforces with Hannah Astrachan (Buzzfeed), Heather Dunn (Brown-Forman Corporation) and David Harcourt (Yum! Brands).
The Infusion of Inclusion Michellene Davis from National Medical Fellowships moderated a panel conversation with John A. Johnson (Government Employees Health Association), Shilpa Patel (Kindbody), Sonia Millsom (Oxeon Partners) and Tamara Duperval-Brownlee (Accenture) to discuss underrepresentation of women and people of color in both provider and business leadership roles.
Hear more insights from Dr. Tamara Duperval-Brownlee, Chief Medical Officer at Accenture, at our Mental Health Equity at Work Summit, now available on-demand.
Connecting Workplace Culture and Wellbeing
Headspace & LinkedIn Discuss Workplace Mental Health
From the HLTH Main Stage, CEOs from Headspace and LinkedIn made a strong business case for investments in workplace culture and overall mental health, which they argue create a strategic advantage for employers.
What this means for your company: Economic uncertainty coupled with mounting productivity pressure are contributing to a hard truth about the mental health of today’s workforce that organizations must contend with: four out of 10 U.S. workers report that their job has an extremely negative or somewhat negative impact on their mental health.
Going further: Workplace mental health advocate and session moderator Morra Aarons-Mele started the discussion saying, “Work has a huge impact on our mental wellbeing. We bring our whole selves to work every day…The recent events in Israel are heavy on many of our minds, and we’re showing up with that at work. Leaders who prioritize the wellbeing of their employees and who invest in culture and values…reap the benefits of a mentally healthy workforce, and a more engaged and resilient workforce.”
LinkedIn CEORyan Roslansky discussed the importance of culture and values as a company leader. “We define culture as the collective personality of our organization. It’s who we are, or more importantly, it’s who we aspire to be. And we believe in purposely defining it so we all understand who it is that we’re trying to be. Values are the principles upon which the company makes all of their decisions.”
Headspace CEORussell Glass pointed out, “You have to normalize mental health. And that generally comes from leadership on down…80% of employees in our study have said they appreciate it when leaders talk about mental health.” He continued, “Companies that create great cultures end up having the best mental health as well. Culture is inextricably linked to mental health.”
November 2 at 2pm ET: Uniting ERGs to End HIV HIV has a profound impact on several communities in the U.S., and Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) can be a driving force in eradicating the stigma and discrimination associated with the virus. Join us on Thursday, November 2nd from 2-3pm ET for a virtual event for ERG leaders to learn how affinity groups can help end HIV by creating brave spaces where people can talk openly while advancing HIV awareness within companies. You’ll also hear tips for how ERGs can meaningfully commemorate World AIDS Day on December 1st. Register now.
November 8 at 2pm ET: The Role of HR & Benefits Leaders in Ending HIV We have all the tools to end HIV in the U.S. — and employers can play an essential role by reducing barriers to HIV testing, prevention, treatment and care. Join us on Thursday, November 8th from 2-3pm ET, for a virtual event for HR and benefits leaders to learn how employers can help end HIV by providing quality HIV health coverage and benefits. Register now.
November 9 at 2pm ET: Respiratory Wellness at Work: Ready for the Season A surge in COVID-19, flu and RSV this fall could present new challenges for employers – leading to higher rates of absenteeism that would be costly for productivity and morale. Join us for an interactive session with top experts to help you evolve your workplace health and safety protocols to anticipate the challenges ahead. You'll get access to the latest data and trends to help you navigate an expected surge in respiratory infections this holiday season, and discover new ways to educate and engage your workforce to protect themselves and others. Register now.
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