January 2025 Briefs
Where Are We Now: An update on HERO research strategy
Greetings, HERO Members, Family & Friends,
Happy New Year! As we’re all inclined to do when the calendar flips from December to January, HERO has been reviewing where we’ve been and where we’re going. Last week, the HERO Research Advisory Group convened for their annual review of the HERO research agenda, identifying what has been accomplished in the previous year and research priorities for the coming year. We look forward to sharing the details very soon, including what will be accomplished through HERO committees and collaborations or partnerships.
HERO’s strategic plan provides the foundation for the research agenda and our mission connecting science and practice to demonstrate the value of a health and well-being employer ecosystem. At the end of 2024, the HERO Board and Advisory Group engaged in a mid-term review of HERO’s three-to-five-year strategic plan and agreed that the plan continues to serve as the North star. This exercise highlighted a wealth of research and resources that have been developed since 2021 through HERO committees and convenings, grant-funded research, collaborations and partnerships, and the HERO Health and Well-being Best Practices Scorecard in Collaboration with Mercer©:
- Partnership. HERO Worker Well-Being Clearinghouse, Powered by the NIOSH WellBQ. (2022-2024)
- Grants. Activating Employers as Agents of Change in the Implementation of Lifestyle Medicine. (Ardmore Institute of Health, 2022-2025)
- Brain Health Partner. Business Collaborative for Brain Health. (2023-2024)
- Scorecard Commentary. A look into the discrepancies in health and well-being practices by organization size. (May 2021)
- Scorecard Commentary. The use of data on perceived effectiveness of an organization’s health and well-being strategic planning? (Sept 2021)
- Forum Proceedings. Bouncing Back: Boosting Mental Resilience and Building Organizational Immunity. (Oct 2021)
- Brief. Best Practices that Drive Health & Well-being Success – A Research Comparison. (Feb 2022)
- Scorecard Commentary. Trends in mental and emotional health practices by employer size. (Mar 2022)
- Think Tank Proceedings. Changing Boundaries, Changing Benefits: How employee well-being approaches are adapting to the new ways we work. (March 2022)
- Think Tank Proceedings. Individual and Organizational Assets that Boost Belongingness: What Place for the Workplace in Supporting Social Connectedness, Spirituality/Faith, and Purpose? (June 2022)
- Committee Report. HERO Employee Experience Results: A Foundational Understanding. (Jul 2022)
- Scorecard Commentary. Leveraging data to enhance health and well-being program integration and organizational well-being. (July 2022)
- Forum Proceedings. How the Choices We Have Influence the Choices We Make. (Sept 2022)
- Scorecard Commentary. Supporting mothers in the workforce creates equity. (Oct 2022)
- Scorecard Commentary. Employee engagement, kind of initiatives, and workplace wellness program effectiveness. (Dec 2022)
- Scorecard Commentary. A comparison of health and well-being and safety program integration practices by organization size. (Dec 2022)
- Committee Report. Advancing Workforce Health Equity: DEI Informed Policies and Practices. (Dec 2022)
- Scorecard: 2022 Progress Report. (Jan 2023)
- Scorecard Commentary. Mental health and well-being practices by organization size, industry type, and region. (Jan 2023)
- Scorecard Commentary. Diversity, equity, and inclusion best practice score: what are your organization’s opportunities for improvement? (Jan 2023)
- Scorecard Commentary. Social determinants of health practices by organization size, industry type, and region. (Jan 2023)
- Scorecard Commentary. A comparison of health and well-being scores based on employer-reported remote workforce. (May 2023)
- Scorecard Commentary. Does remote work impact key health and well-being practices offered at an organization? (May 2023)
- Scorecard Commentary. Organizational support for physical activity by percent remote workforce. (July 2023)
- Forum Proceedings. Doing Well by Doing Good: How Responsible Organizations are Addressing Societal Challenges. (Sept 2023)
- Published Study. “Evaluating Workforce Mental Health and Well-Being: A Review of Assessments.” (AJHP, Dec 2023)
- Think Tank Proceedings. Brain Health and the Aging Workforce. (Feb 2024)
- Think Tank Proceedings. Measures That Matter for Employers Who Want to Promote Flourishing. (May 2024)
- Committee Report. Workforce Mental Health & Well-Being Resources: A Navigation Guide. (Jul 2024)
- Committee Report. Investing in People & Culture – What, Why and How? (Oct 2024)
- Forum Proceedings. Change at the Speed of Trust: Belongingness as the Gateway to a Healthier Culture. (Oct 2024)
- Scorecard Commentary. Brain Health Best Practice Score: How Do Organizations Measure Up? (Nov 2024)
I am truly amazed at what we’ve accomplished together over the past 3 years, and I’m grateful to each of you for the value you’ve added to this significant contribution to the evidence base for health and well-being.
Now, I invite you to consider where you sit relative to HERO’s mission. Are you a consumer of the research? Do you apply it to practice? Do you have data to contribute? Are you willing to participate as a pilot organization or a case study? Do you have expertise and insights to inform the research? Whatever your response, there is a seat for you at HERO’s table. I hope to be sitting across from you at some point this year.
With gratitude,
Karen & the HERO Team
Member Updates
HERO Committees
What’s new with HERO Committees?
Interested in staying ahead of industry trends, contributing to published reports, and building strong connections with fellow professionals? As a HERO member, you can join a committee today! Here’s the latest update on our current committee activities:
- The Research Study Subcommittee (RSS) is reviewing articles for their next deliverable on Belonging in the Workplace. Next meeting will be in February 2025.
- The Workforce Mental Health and Well-Being Committee is organizing their next project around Storytelling (both personal and business), brain/mental health, psychological safety and the impact on business outcomes. Next meeting will be February 2025.
- The People and Culture Committee is celebrating the completion of their latest project, a white paper titled Investing in People & Culture – What, Why and How? This committee will meet in February to begin their next project, which focuses on organizations that have implemented the tenets of their latest publication.
If you want to learn more or join a committee, please contact Karen.Moseley@hero-health.org.
If your organization is interested, complete the organization registration form or contact HERO at WellBQClearinghouse@hero-health.org.
HERO Forum
Valentine’s Special: 10% Off HERO Forum Registration!
March 11-12, 2025
Babson Executive Conference Center | Wellesley, MA
Join us for HERO Forum I: “From Stigma & Silence to Solutions – Addressing Workforce Mental Health Through Systemic Change.”
The rising crisis of deaths of despair underscores the urgent need for systemic workplace change. While stigma reduction and resilience training help, real transformation happens when organizations address work overload, inflexible schedules, and toxic work cultures. This Forum will bring together leading experts and organizational leaders to share actionable strategies that prioritize employee well-being, enhance productivity, and create thriving workplace cultures.
We are excited to announce the noteworthy session on mental health through systemic change. Winners of the Carolyn C. Mattingly Mental Health in the Workplace – How Did They Secure Commitment and Funding for Building and Sustaining Best–Practice Workplaces? with Ron Goetzel, Krystal Sexton and more.
February Special – Save 10%!
To celebrate the season of caring, we’re offering 10% off registration all month long! Use code FPROM10 at checkout and secure your spot at a special rate.
What to Expect:
✔ A full day of impactful sessions on March 12
✔ Real-world success stories & expert insights
✔ Networking reception on March 11
Be part of the change. Register today and save!
HERO Think Tank
2025 Winter Think Tank – A free members-only event
Women’s Health & Well-Being: Employers’ Role in Building Awareness and Equity
March 11, 2025 |1:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Reception to follow
Babson Executive Conference Center | Wellesley, MA
Though women make up nearly half of the workforce, employers have not fully taken advantage of the numerous opportunities they have to help address pervasive disparities in women’s health and well-being. Let’s talk about how reimagining policies, programs, and practices, building better benefit structures, and creating a more inclusive organizational culture can boost businesses’ bottom lines and allow women to thrive. A great lineup of speakers to share on this important and timely topic include:
- Sera-Leigh Ghouralal, PhD, MSc; Senior Researcher at Integrated Benefits Institute
- Lorna Kapusta, SVP, Head of Women & Engagement at Fidelity
- DeAnna Minus-Vincent, Executive Director at FairWorx, EVP, Enterprise Strategy & Innovation at Black Women’s Health Imperative
HERO brings together employers, providers, consultants and researchers to discuss complex issues and pursue evidence-based strategies that support a broad range of well-being issues.
HERO RECOMMENDS
Resources and Readings
- AJHP Editor’s Desk: Why It’s Time to Address Spirituality as Part of a Comprehensive Approach to Workplace Well-Being. HERO Senior Fellow Jessica Grossmeier opens this issue of Knowing Well, Being Well with a call for new approaches to address employee burnout, disengagement, and turnover rates.
- HBR: What Comes After DEI. Lilly Zheng proposes a new framework based on fairness, access, inclusion, and representation (FAIR).
