Tell-tale signs of a healthy workplace

In a recent edition of the American Psychological Association Monitor, Robert P. Rosen, Ph.D., president of Washington, D.C.-based Healthy Companies Inc., was interviewed. He listed 13 factors that make up a healthy company.

Following are those factors, adapted from a 1994 article in the American Psychological Association Monitor. The information is used with the journal’s permission.

• Open communications – The company openly communicates with employees about its operations, plans and choices; sharing occurs at all levels in the organization.

• Employee involvement – Employees actively participate in decision-making, planning, work design and problem solving for the company.

• Learning and renewal – Organization provides opportunities for employees to learn, and employees are committed to life-long learning.

• Valued diversity – Organization and employees see diversity as a source of stimulation, enrichment and equal opportunity.

• Institutional fairness – Company promotes and protects privacy and equity, respects the right of employees to dissent; employees observe the company’s policies and practices.

• Equitable rewards and recognition – Organization recognizes and rewards individual performance and employees give their maximum efforts to their jobs.

• Common economic security – Organization recognizes that its economic security and that of its employees is the same, employees share financial commitments and burdens.

• People-centered technology – Companies use worker-friendly technology and employees learn to use that technology.

• Health-enhancing work environments – Organization takes measures to promote employees’ physical and psychological health; employees do their part to stay healthy.

• Meaningful work – Organization creates and fosters interesting, creative, diverse jobs; employees strive to do high-quality work.

• Balance – Companies recognize employees’ need to balance family, work and recreation.

• Community and responsibility – Organization invests in the public interest, and employees take on civic responsibilities.

• Environmental protection – Organization and employees commit themselves to preserving and restoring environmental health and engage in ecologically sound practices.

Rosen’s observations may be of assistance to those setting and reviewing the goals for their organizations in 1995.

These 13 factors should go a long way in reducing stress with-in an organization and in assisting the employees in dealing with the numerous changes that are occurring in the work place today.

Copyright c 1995 Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D.