See what we’re building together
This week at Climate Week NYC, HAA's National Commission on Climate and Workforce Health brought together employers, Commissioners, and national experts to shape the future of workforce resilience as extreme heat and weather get worse.
This week, the Commission hosted two Workforce Resilience Labs — interactive, closed-door sessions designed to help leaders protect their people and prepare for a changing climate — at Mercer's offices in Midtown Manhattan.
Together, these sessions convened 50 senior leaders and national experts, representing industries from construction to health care, including representatives from Commission members Susan Potter, Jason Glaser, Dr. Lisa Patel, Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, Abner Mason, Jenny Keroack, Jane Gilbert, Noel Friedman, Emilie Saksvig, Dr. Paige Wickner, and Tracy Watts.
In our "Beating the Heat in New Extremes" session, participants discussed direct health risks, safety incidents in workplaces, and the economic strain of higher energy and health care costs. The group emphasized equity in both exposure and communications, and agreed that prevention and proactive design offer a strong return on investment for employers.
Solutions included:
In our "Protecting Your People When Disasters Strike" session, an underlying theme was preparedness and shared responsibility. Participants noted the need for stronger business cases, innovative incentives, and using existing benefits frameworks to expand support for disaster readiness.
Recommendations centered on:
Thank you to our sponsor, Mercer, for generously hosting us in their New York office. Support from our presenting sponsors, Mercer, Elevance Health, The Hartford, and the de Beaumont Foundation, makes this critical work possible.
Interested in attending a future Workforce Resilience Lab or bringing tailored Commission programming to your organization? Express your interest here.
The Commission served as a key advisor and opened the health session at the Resilience Hub, a major convening during Climate Week focused on putting adaptation and resilience at the forefront of climate action.
The panel and session helped center health within resilience efforts, highlighting how climate change impacts the workforce, the health care system, and the gaps that remain in empowering employers and organizations to respond effectively.
David Leathers, HAA's Climate Program Director, served as an advisor at the Health in Climate Hackathon. Teams were tasked with developing solutions for areas where climate events significantly impact public health.
Many solutions help employers identify, manage, and reduce climate-related workforce health risks. We also observed numerous new technologies — including apps, chatbots, dashboards, and text alert systems — designed to issue warnings, provide guidance, and monitor vulnerable individuals during extreme weather events.
The National Commission on Climate and Workforce Health is a group of business, health, and climate leaders who share a mission to protect workers from the health risks posed by extreme weather.
Want to help your company adapt to today’s climate conditions and invest in human and business resilience? Here's how you can get involved:
Together, we're building a national Workforce Resilience Network to accelerate action and create a future where workers are protected from climate risks.
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