The Human Resource Standards Institute^SM (HRSI^SM), a subsidiary of HRCI^®, announced the availability of its new Workplace Wellness Organizational Certification. Based on the ISO 45003:2021 – Occupational health and safety management – Guidelines for managing psychosocial risks, the offering’s purpose is to continually validate and improve an organization’s duty of care for its workforce.

Research shows that organizations and economies around the world lose a trillion dollars due to absenteeism, low productivity and healthcare attributed to workforce stress. In the U.S., some 83 percent of workers report suffering from work-related stress, with more than 50 percent feeling disengaged at work as a result.

Recognizing the toll of stress on the health and well-being of workers and workplaces, HRSI developed the ISO 45003:2021 Workplace Wellness Organizational Certification to help employers better understand the risks, monitor indicators and showcase care for employees. In demonstrating duty of care across the workplace, the potential benefits of this new organizational certification include the following:

• Improved employee innovation, satisfaction and retention
• Increased motivation, productivity and performance
• Enhanced employer brand and reputation
• Upheld compliance and legal requirements
• Risk management and cost savings
• Expanded ability to attract top talent.

Through the certification process, organizations will also achieve better transparency, accountability and visibility into overall workplace wellness. The HRSI Organizational Certification based on ISO 45003:2021 also reinforces the organization’s commitment to offering world-class human resources practices. The certification can be earned by any organization, regardless of business type, size, nature or complexity, and whether it is in the public, private or not-for-profit sectors.

Steven Winicki, Managing Director of HRSI, commented, “Workplace stress typically emanates from three sources: how work is organized, social and cultural factors and the general work environment. As such, each organization has a unique set of risk factors for its workforce. Implementing a continual improvement program, via organizational certification with HRSI, allows employers to consider the risks, make meaningful changes and measure outcomes.”

Dr. Amy Dufrane, SPHR, CAE, CEO of HRSI and HRCI, continued, “Workplace wellness is fundamental to the success of every organization and focuses on managing and minimizing stressors to guard against negative human capital outcomes. The HRSI Workplace Wellness Organizational Certification recognizes those organizations that want to mitigate risks and stressors and, instead, offer healthy and supportive work environments.”

HRSI now offers three organizational certifications that allow organizations to earn and show the market that they align with the global standards for Diversity & Inclusion, Human Capital Reporting or Workplace Wellness. Each certification follows a rigorous process that helps employers demonstrate and verify a commitment to improving human resource management at an organizational level.