How To Design Workplaces That Support Lasting Wellbeing
In benefits—especially in the mental health space—we talk a lot about social determinants of health (SDOH). But what if one of the most powerful, underleveraged determinants was the very thing HR and benefits leaders have control over every day? The workplace itself.
That’s the idea behind Workplace Determinants of Health™ (WDOH)—a new framework for wellbeing at work that empowers employers to design work environments where support is systemic—not situational or after-the-fact. And if you want to understand how to prevent burnout in the workplace, that’s where the conversation has to start.
In a recent episode of Coffee with CuraLinc, award-winning journalist and workplace culture strategist Jennifer Moss joined us to talk about burnout, workplace culture, and what HR leaders can actually do to create lasting change.
Many leaders overlook what Moss highlighted in our conversation: burnout doesn’t live with the individual—it lives in the system, in the culture. Let’s take a closer look at what that means and how employers can create systems and cultures where employees can thrive.
What is WDOH and why does it matter?
WDOH refers to organization-controlled conditions—like the physical and psychosocial environment—that influence health outcomes. Think about things like:
How much autonomy people have in their roles
Whether performance expectations are realistic
How the workplace culture supports or undermines connection
Every organization has these factors, and they can all contribute to burnout. The question then is whether these factors are being shaped intentionally to help reduce burnout, or by default, where burnout is an afterthought.
Burnout is a systems issue, not a self-care issue
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines burnout as chronic workplace stress that hasn’t been successfully managed. That’s right. Contrary to popular belief, burnout isn’t a mental illness or an individual issue. It’s a system failure.
According to WHO, burnout shows up in three dimensions:
Exhaustion and depletion
Cynicism and disconnection
Underperformance and reduced efficacy
In Moss’s words, "We cannot be a high-performing organization if our people are unwell." Unfortunately, many employers are still trying to boost performance by solving the wrong part of the equation.
Why downstream fixes don’t work
Too many burnout prevention strategies start at the individual level. You’ve seen them offered as perks and benefits: meditation apps, wellness stipends, or yoga classes, among other things. While these can be supportive, it’s important to realize they’re not preventive. If an employee has a workload that’s consistently unmanageable or a leader who doesn’t recognize their contributions, no amount of meditation is going to make their situation better.
Instead, Moss advocates for investing upstream by addressing system design flaws. She draws on Herzberg’s two-factor theory and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to explain why.
Herzberg’s theory proposes that work satisfaction and dissatisfaction are driven by two separate sets of factors: motivators and hygiene factors. Hygiene factors are considered basic needs, or foundational needs. If your people don’t have basic needs met—like psychological safety, fair compensation, or clarity in expectations—motivation and perks don’t matter. Without strong foundational hygiene factors, burnout becomes much more likely.
How HR can shift the system: upstream strategies that work
To create meaningful, sustainable change in the workplace, HR can’t just focus on surface-level fixes. Shifting the system requires upstream strategies that address the root causes of stress and disengagement.
Start with small culture changes
You don’t need a massive internal campaign to begin preventing burnout. According to Moss, it starts with repeated, reinforced behaviors. Just like neural pathways in the brain, organizations build culture through patterns.
Encourage managers to ask, "What’s one thing we could fix this month?"
Try removing a meeting, hosting lunch, or something else that addresses a major pain point
Ask your teams how it’s going—and act on what you hear
Adjust your efforts as needed
These new initiatives don’t have to be expensive. But they do have to be intentional.
Address time poverty to improve wellbeing
Time poverty—the chronic sense of not having enough time—leads to disengagement, stress, and turnover. When employees feel every minute is spoken for, resentment can easily build.
Organizations can address this by:
Reducing unnecessary meetings
Actively avoiding job creep
Giving people time for reflection, connection, and rest
Making fun part of the culture again
Even something as simple as 20-minute shared lunches can improve morale, reduce mistakes, and boost psychological safety.
Find purpose in tasks, not just mission statements
A common misconception is that employees find purpose only in organizations with noble missions. And while many employees do in fact join organizations because they’re passionate about the company's mission, a mission alone isn’t the only way they find purpose. Purpose can come from:
Meaningful day-to-day tasks
Connection to community outcomes
Opportunities to apply and grow skills
Programs that support purpose don’t have to be complex. Employee resource groups, internal innovation labs, and social impact projects are all unique ways to create meaning that reach far beyond the company mission.
Rethink promotion paths
Education, experience, and company historical knowledge are valuable, but those things alone don’t make someone a successful manager. Being a successful manager requires a skillset that not everyone has—and that’s okay.
Rather than forcing top contributors into people manager roles, consider other options that recognize their valuable contributions but also their strengths, such as:
Fund their work on new ideas or special projects
Give them ownership over high-impact initiatives or allow them to represent the company externally
Empower them to mentor others, lead training, or contribute to strategic planning without needing to manage a team
Offer them a higher-level individual contributor role and a pay raise
Make it a point to pay attention to equity gaps and skills mismatches that can lead to burnout. These kinds of mismatches can affect an entire department and trickle down into other areas of the organization.
Create opportunities for connection
Community is a strong predictor of happiness at work. Connecting, collaborating, and shared experiences make stronger teams. Prioritizing social connection is a performance strategy. It fuels trust, creativity, and retention. Here are a few ways you can help foster stronger relationships at work:
Design shared experiences, from team lunches to volunteer days, to creating informal spaces where colleagues can interact beyond their daily tasks
Encourage cross-functional collaboration by giving employees opportunities to partner outside their usual teams to spark new ideas and relationships
Support peer recognition by building systems that allow employees to celebrate one another’s successes and strengths
Make space for authentic dialogue by encouraging regular check-ins and open conversations that go deeper than project updates
Healthy relationships don’t happen by accident in the workplace. They happen when leaders intentionally create the time, space, and culture for people to connect.
Treat belonging as a talent strategy
To make a positive impact on psychological safety and performance, employers must strategically focus on true belonging—not just individual programs or groups.
Moss shared a reframing of DEI work as part of an integrated talent strategy, rather than a separate initiative. From a business perspective, it pays off. Companies with more diverse boards see stronger financial returns. But the impact on retention, engagement, and innovation is just as critical.
Encourage employees to bring their authentic selves to work—their passions and skills that may not be part of their everyday role
Look at ERGs and affiliate groups as a true investment—not just a checkbox
Give ERG leaders dedicated time to focus on group events and efforts to avoid burnout
Reframing belonging in this way helps foster environments where people can be both their authentic selves and part of a shared group.
Wellbeing by design, not by default
Creating a culture that supports workplace wellbeing starts with system design choices. By investing upstream, supporting connection, and designing environments where people can thrive, organizations create healthier, happier workforces. Because the shift doesn’t happen by adding another wellness program to the mix. It happens when you reimagine how work itself is designed.
Additional resources
Coffee with CuraLinc
If you’re interested in listening to the full Coffee with CuraLinc episode with Jennifer Moss, the recording is available online. Listen to the episode now.
Workplace Determinants of Health (WDOH) eBook
Want a deeper dive into the concept of WDOH? Our free eBook explores how organizations can rewire work to improve leadership, culture, and performance. Download the eBook.