Emerson Drives 12% Increase in Employee Well-Being Through Comprehensive Strategy

The Opportunity

When Emerson became one of the first companies to return to office-based work in June 2020, employee feedback highlighted an important need: enhanced support for health and well-being. The post-COVID workplace presented a host of unprecedented challenges, with employees expressing a clear desire for more comprehensive well-being support from their employer.

The traditional employee survey process had captured these concerns, but the organization recognized that addressing well-being in the post-pandemic era required more than just measurement — it needed a fundamental overhaul in how the company approached employee health and wellness.

The Solution

Emerson created a comprehensive enterprise well-being strategy based on four key pillars: physical, mental, financial, and social health. At the heart of this strategy was the creation of a Well-being Champions Network, which grew to include nearly 200 volunteers across all job levels, categories, and geographies.

The organization developed an internal Well-being at Emerson hub, providing centralized access to information and company-sponsored benefits across all four well-being pillars. To ensure the initiative's success, they invested in specialized training, including an in-house Mental Health Awareness Basics course that equipped champions with a "Recognize, Respond, Refer" model for supporting colleagues experiencing mental health challenges.

Senior leadership played a key role in the transformation. Leaders like John Nita, President of Europe, Mathias Schinzel, President of MEA, and Ajit Iyer, Vice President of HR, helped break down stigmas by openly sharing their own mental health journeys through social media posts and video messages.

The Impact

In just one year, Emerson’s well-being index score increased by 12%, rising from 71% to 83%. This improvement reflected the success of their holistic approach to employee wellness.

The impact was particularly visible in the creative and engaging wellness initiatives that emerged across global locations. In Toluca, Mexico, the Wellness Committee organized a reforestation event that brought together 270 employees and family members to plant 1,300 trees. In Marshalltown, IA, 450 employees participated in "WellnessLand," an innovative health education event featuring 30 vendors and interactive learning opportunities.

Mental health awareness spread across the Middle East and Africa region, with impactful sessions conducted in the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa. The program's success was evident in increased utilization of the Employee Assistance Program and growing comfort with mental health discussions across all levels of the organization.

Employee testimonials captured the profound impact of these changes. One employee shared, "I feel very lucky to work for a company that genuinely cares about the physical and emotional health of their employees." Another expressed gratitude for the support received during personal challenges, noting how Emerson's orientation towards employee well-being made a real difference in their life.

Through their Mental Health Awareness Basics program, 111 Champions participated in Train-the-Trainer sessions, creating a multiplier effect that helped normalize these important conversations and created a more supportive workplace culture.