FROM THE CEO
Psychologists’ role in work-life fit
is more important than ever
BY DR. NORMAN B. ANDERSON • APA CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
New data from an APA survey on the nation’s employees uncovered an
important finding: Americans report staying with their current employers
because they enjoy the work and the work-life fit. Although 60 percent of
workers said they are staying at their jobs because of benefits and 59 percent
report staying for the pay, 67 percent said they choose to stay because their
jobs fit well with the other aspects of their lives. The same
percentage said they are staying at their jobs because they enjoy
the work they do. In addition, our survey found that even in
a time of relatively high unemployment, only 39 percent of
respondents cited lack of other job opportunities as a reason for
staying with their current employers. For the full study results,
go to www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2012/08/work-life.aspx.
These findings suggest that today’s American workers aren’t
just looking for monetary gain — they want balance and meaning
in their work lives. And that means employers who want to remain
competitive can no longer rely only on financial incentives for
their workers. Employers must also create positive environments
that foster connectivity, community and work-life balance.
That’s where psychology and APA come in. Armed with de-
cades of psychological research and seeking to build on the suc-
cess of a New Jersey Psychological Association initiative, in 1999
the APA Practice Directorate created its Psychologically Healthy
Workplace Program (PHWP) to educate employers about the
value of psychology. The program defines a healthy workplace as
one that promotes both employee well-being and organizational
performance. Run by David W. Ballard, PsyD, MBA, the PHWP
supports local programs in 56 state, provincial and territorial
psychological associations and offers a variety of resources for
employees and employers alike. In addition, the program’s well-known awards recognize workplaces that foster employee health
and well-being while enhancing organizational performance.
The PHWP combines the knowledge of industrial-
organizational, consulting, clinical, counseling and health
psychology with that of other disciplines, such as public health,
management, human resources and occupational health.
It emphasizes the importance of a systems approach that
includes employee involvement, health and safety practices,
opportunities for employee growth and development, flexible
work arrangements and employee recognition.
In January, the PHWP will be broadening its scope and
moving to a new program centrally located in APA. The new
Center for Organizational Excellence will serve in a dual
internal/external role to promote employee well-being and
enhance organizational performance. The center will support
APA’s strategic plan by promoting organizational effectiveness,
and by leveraging psychology’s expertise in human behavior to
promote health and wellness, and increasing public awareness
of the benefits psychology brings to the setting where adults
spend a majority of their waking hours — the workplace.
Externally, the center will house the PHWP and build on its
efforts to engage key stakeholders in the business community,
demonstrate the value of psychology and position APA as an
expert resource for employers and the psychologists who work
with them. Internally, the center will bridge APA’s business units
and provide an overarching strategy for promoting the health
and well-being of the association’s own workforce, thereby
supporting APA’s functioning and effectiveness.
Our goal is nothing short of making APA a national model
of a psychologically healthy workplace. In fact, instilling a
culture of wellness for APA’s employees has been one of my top
priorities since I became APA CEO in 2003. Flexibility is one
of our internal core values and we promote work schedules
that allow employees to meet the personal demands of their
lives. In addition, we offer health and wellness programs for
staff including Pilates, meditation, yoga, tai chi, aerobic exercise
classes and Weight Watchers®, to name just a few.
As psychologists’ research has shown, offering such benefits
does even more than boost employee health, well-being
and satisfaction. It’s also good for an organization’s bottom
line. Companies that offer such programs can boost morale,
strengthen employees’ commitment to the organization,
increase productivity and reduce employee turnover. On all
these fronts, APA is leading the way. n
