Transforming Work Environments: The Impact of Healing Workplaces on Employee Wellbeing and Organizational Performance

The new health insurance data is alarming: days of absence due to mental illness increased dramatically again from 2023 to 2024. Mental illness has become one of the main causes of incapacity for work. Employees in all professions are affected by burnout, especially but not limited to the healthcare and education sectors. Those affected are often stigmatized, which makes it difficult to take advantage of prevention offers. In the healthcare sector in particular, it is often seen as a weakness of the individual to suffer from burnout. The personal suffering for each individual is high, the costs for employers and health insurance companies are enormous, and the risk of developing life-threatening secondary illnesses such as depression is massive. A shift in thinking must take place if companies want to remain competitive in the long term. Current illness reports from the statutory health insurance funds explicitly call for better prevention of burnout. The existing prevention approaches at the behavioral and structural levels are diverse and located in various specialist disciplines. In order to provide optimal care, it is essential to process these offers on an interdisciplinary basis and to pool existing evidence on an interdisciplinary and professional basis. The aim of this pooling of evidence from different specialist disciplines is to guide the design of workplaces that can be defined as a “healing workplace”.

The concept of the “healing workplace” refers to working environments that actively promote the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of employees. As companies increasingly recognize the importance of employee health to sustained productivity and job satisfaction, the “healing workplace” has gained prominence in various disciplines such as occupational medicine, industrial and organizational psychology, human resources, and even management science. These environments are characterized by a combination of physical (such as natural lighting, ergonomic design, and quiet spaces) and psychological factors (including supportive leadership, open communication, and work-life balance).

Research in this area explores how positive work environments contribute to lower stress, higher job satisfaction, greater engagement, and better overall performance. The idea is based on the growing realization that workplaces should not only be focused on performance outcomes, but must also consider the well-being of the individual as a key factor in organizational success. Healing Workplaces aim to create spaces where employees feel valued and supported and where they can thrive, ultimately promoting a healthier and more resilient workforce.

This research topic focuses on scientific evidence-based investigations and research in the field of how positive work environments contribute to less stress, higher job satisfaction, greater engagement, and better overall performance. Contributions on prevention and health promotion are welcome in the field of “healing workplaces”.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Registered Report
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: healing workplace, mental health, burnout, secondary illness, working environments, occupational health, job performance

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.