Johnson & Johnson
“There is so much more to be done; the patients are waiting.”
That famous quote from Dr. Paul Janssen is very meaningful to us at Johnson & Johnson because it embodies our determination to find solutions to persistent public health issues, and specifically, mental health.
We believe good health is the foundation of vibrant lives, thriving communities and forward progress. That’s why for more than 130 years, we have aimed to keep people well at every age and stage of life. Every day, our more than 130,000 employees across the world are blending heart, science and ingenuity to profoundly change the trajectory of health for humanity.
At Johnson & Johnson, we believe in looking at health holistically: physical, mental and emotional health are inexorably linked. We continue to foster and grow an inclusive and understanding culture that destigmatizes mental health issues and provides the resources to support our employees in bringing their wholes selves to work. As an active leader in global mental health advocacy, we support mental health within our workforce through strong leadership, compassionate culture, and innovative technologies. New approaches are evaluated using continuous measurement to understand employee needs and impact.
Strong Leadership
J&J’s CEO, senior executives, and managers have committed to raising awareness and proactively addressing mental health in the workplace. Our employee health goals are publicly reported and our leaders have shared accountability for those goals. Leaders not only regularly communicate the progress toward our health goals and emphasize employee resources at company events and business town halls, but many leaders often share personal stories to help raise awareness and contribute to building a safe and inclusive culture. This provides a foundation and guide for all the company’s mental health efforts – consistent with the company’s overall focus on every employee being their personal best, in all dimensions of health.
Compassionate Culture
Johnson & Johnson provides a work environment, culture and programs that support an integrated approach to health that addresses three pillars -Healthy Eating, Healthy Movement, and Healthy Mind.
- Educate and engage employees and families on the importance of mental well-being
- Conduct a periodic review of, and ensure compliance with, regional/local regulatory requirements related to mental well-being
- Regularly conduct a workplace risk analysis of key elements impacting mental well-being, and develop action plans to address identified risks
- Provide awareness training for managers and employees on resources available and how to reduce the stigma related to mental health
- Provide employees access to resources and programs on mental well-being (including stress management, resiliency, energy management, and work-life effectiveness)
- Provide and promote an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to employees and families
- Provide individual and organizational support during critical incidents
- Report and provide data annually on EAP utilization and effectiveness
Innovative Technologies
We continue to offer new services, based on emerging trends. For example, we provide computer-based mental health training and a mobile app that teaches resiliency and selfstress management techniques.
In April 2017, the Mental Health Diplomats employee resource group was formed. This group of 600+ passionate employees in 21 countries worldwide have a common interest in raising awareness of mental health in the workplace, providing resources to educate and support employees coping with mental illness and ultimately fostering a culture of inclusion at J&J by helping to remove the stigma often associated with mental health. Recently, this group mobilized 80+ global J&J sites to share their resources on World Mental Health Day. Sites across the globe held interactive activities, speaker forums, and lunch & learns, while also promoting via posters, videos and through our internal social newsfeed.
Measuring Outcomes
J&J not only invests in well-designed and well-executed employee health and well-being programs, but also spends money to evaluate program outcomes across multiple dimensions that included health risks and financial returns.
Our programs have been verified externally to show a proven return on investment as well as demonstrate strong links to improved market performance. This value has been realized via decreased health care costs, lower absenteeism, increased employee engagement and productivity.
We offer behavioral health programs as part of our medical plan. These programs are universally-targeted, and the services are available 24/7/365. To measure the effectiveness of these services, we work with Aetna to employ specific quality metrics and identify complex clinical management cases as early as possible. For example, in 2017 we saw a positive trend in accurately identifying behavioral health comorbidities during the initial case manager contact. On average, we expect to see 25% of a population with behavioral health comorbidities. Of the 8,284 Johnson & Johnson members who sought care using Aetna, 22% were accurately identified with a behavioral health comorbidity, therefore we identified 88% of the potential cases upon first interaction.
We are dedicated to continuous measurement and improvement by reviewing utilization of the mental health program and EAP. Some recent outcomes from this approach include: appropriate behavioral health diagnosis and improved worker health.
J&J supports the mental health of its global workforce through strong leadership, compassionate culture, and innovative technologies. In addition, J&J recognizes the importance of continuously assessing the effectiveness of efforts to ensure that programs are providing benefit and that all aspects of employee health, including mental health, are addressed holistically.
Alex Gorsky
Chairman and CEO
Johnson & Johnson