Providing an inclusive and equitable work environment is integral to fostering a psychologically healthy workplace and supporting the mental well-being of employees. This is critical for Black, Hispanic, and LGBTQ+ workers, along with employees with disabilities, who are more likely to plan on leaving their jobs—especially if they’ve experienced discrimination in the workplace.
American Psychological Association. (2024, May 16). Take a critical look at equity, diversity, and inclusion policies. https://www.apa.org/topics/healthy-workplaces/mental-health/edi-policies
Why this matters to leaders
- Diversity is not just a “good thing to do” but necessary to help businesses thrive.
- Companies with high levels of diversity perform better, especially when management is diverse.
- When employees of different abilities or socioeconomic backgrounds feel they have equal access to job promotions and other related incentives, they’ll be more likely to contribute meaningfully while at work.
- Policies that effectively ensure equity among all employees encourage the participation of more diverse voices and the generation of innovative ideas, both of which can benefit overall organizational health.
What the research says
- Inequity and discrimination are connected to stress and can propel people to leave their jobs (APA’s 2021 Work and Well-being Survey).
- Companies with diverse management tend to be more productiveopens in new window, by up to $1,590 per employee each year (Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 29, No. 3).
Approaches to consider
- Evaluate your company policies and programs to ensure best and current practices around equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), including supporting people of color, LGBTQ+ populations, and people with disabilities.
- Engage advisers and consultants with relevant knowledge and expertise to guide your review process.
- Conduct an audit of your organization’s ongoing EDI work to identify areas of high engagement as well as gaps in your EDI policies. It can also inform your organization’s EDI goals and determine where to make changes and improvements.
- Revisit your recruitment policies to include diverse areas and universities to ensure you are seeking out talent with a variety of experiences and from a variety of backgrounds.
- Implement practical tools and resources to help employees develop EDI skills and knowledge and to foster inclusivity, such as APA’s inclusive language guidelines.
Acknowledgments
APA gratefully acknowledges the following contributors to this content.
CEOs Advancing Health Equity is a group of executives from some of the nation’s largest nongovernmental, nonprofit organizations who joined forces during the Covid-19 pandemic to improve health equity, with a focus on vaccines and mental health in the workplace.
