How Do Companies Foster a Culture of Health?

Resources in support of the Culture of Health for Business Framework
Jun 25, 2020 8:00 AM ET
New resources from Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)

GRI has launched a range of new resources to help companies integrate the Culture of Health for Business (COH4B) framework within their sustainability reporting.

COH4B is a holistic framework, endorsed by GRI, on the role of companies in impacting the health and wellbeing of their employees and stakeholders. It was developed in 2019 by a group of leading companies, non-profits and academia in the United States, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The framework identifies smart business practices that cut across environmental, social and governance issues, aimed at helping businesses build and promote a healthy working environment and manage impacts on population health through their operations and actions. It is now freely available to be used by companies around the world.

To enable organizations to use the COH4B Framework alongside their existing reporting through the GRI Standards, three resources are now available:

Tim Mohin, GRI Chief Executive, said:

“We are proud of our partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation on the Culture of Health for Business. This framework provides organizations with actionable guidance to improve the well-being of employees, communities and others impacted by the company.

A key lesson of the COVID-19 pandemic is that health and well-being is not simply a matter of good corporate citizenship; it’s critical to business. By linking the GRI Standards to COH4B, we are giving organizations tools for connecting their familiar sustainability programs to broader health outcomes.”

Donald F. Schwarz, Senior Vice President, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, said:

“In close partnership with GRI, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is committed to providing the resources to support businesses in reporting on health and well-being outcomes. We hope COH4B will empower corporate leaders to take advantage of the business imperative of promoting a culture of health.”

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is the independent international organization that helps businesses, governments and other organizations understand and communicate their impacts. The GRI Standards are the world’s most widely used for sustainability reporting.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is the largest philanthropy dedicated solely to health in America, working to build a healthcare system focused on the complex social factors that influence health, well-being and equity.