🌟 Driving Workplace Mental Health Forward in Japan 🇯🇵
We recently had the privilege of co-hosting the Workforce Mental Health and Well-Being Event at the Hotel Okura in Tokyo, alongside Columbia University, Heidrick & Struggles Japan, and Pasona N A, Inc. This event marked the inaugural launch of our Japan Leadership Coalition on Mental Health. With 60+ senior leaders, including CHROs, related senior executives, and in-house industrial doctors from 50+ companies, the event provided an invaluable platform to address the growing importance of workplace mental health in Japan.
Thank you to Steven G. (Greenberg), Partner-in-Charge, Japan, of Heidrick & Struggles Japan, and Kenji Furushiro, President & CEO of Pasona NA, Inc., for co-hosting this important event with us.
👥 Key Highlights:
🔹 Kathleen M. Pike, CEO of One Mind and Director of Columbia University’s Mental Health + Work Design Lab, emphasized the urgent need for a scientific, strategic, and community-driven approach to mental health, particularly in addressing the challenges facing Japanese organizations.
🔹 Dr. Tsuyoshi Akiyama, President of the World Federation for Mental Health, encouraged a shift in mindset, urging us to view employees with mental health challenges as valuable assets, not burdens.
🧠 Key Messages Communicated:
🔹 The Importance of Strategic Approaches: Kathy emphasized the need for a strategic, scientific, and comprehensive approach to workplace mental health, focusing on the urgent challenges faced by Japanese organizations.
🔹 The 3 Ps Framework: Kathy shared the 3 Ps Framework of Protection, Promotion, and Provision. The most effective workplace strategies will address mental health across this continuum.
🔹 Challenges in Japan's Workforce: Japan is grappling with a shrinking workforce, low employee engagement (only 6%), and annual economic losses of ¥6 trillion due to mental health-related issues. While 63.4% of companies are taking action, only 26% have formal strategies in place, and preventive measures are underutilized by 65%.
🔹 Mental Health as an Asset: Dr. Akiyama presented the Industrial Mental Health framework, urging a shift in mindset to view employees with mental health challenges as valuable assets rather than burden.
💬 Introducing the Japan Leadership Coalition on Mental Health
We are excited to officially launch the Japan Leadership Coalition on Mental Health, a collaborative initiative uniting leading Japanese business leaders and corporations to prioritize mental health and well-being in the workplace. This coalition brings together forward-thinking leaders committed to improving mental health across their organizations and supporting Japanese workers and their families.
If you’re interested in learning more, please contact Haruka Kokaze at haruka.kokaze@onemind.org.
#MentalHealth #WorkplaceMentalHealth #GlobalWorkplaceHealth #Leadership #Japan #OneMind #OneMindAtWork