The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has committed itself to a vision of working alongside others to build a Culture of Health where everyone has the opportunity to live a healthier life. The private sector, particularly large corporations, has a tremendous influence on culture and is integral to achieving high social and health standards for all stakeholders, including employees. Increasingly, shareholders, investors, boards and executives are prioritizing business values and citizenship, as well as financial measures, knowing that these affect public perception, brand and long-term sustainability. And, in order to build a Culture of Health, the private sector and its stakeholders must be engaged.
A growing number of companies recognize their ability to contribute to a Culture of Health and have used their reach and influence to improve the health and well-being of employees, families, and the communities within which they operate. By recognizing the importance of health and well-being across the value chain, businesses can reap the rewards with greater productivity and higher retention, for example. Measures, metrics and indicators play a key role in supporting corporate efforts. They promote an understanding of the concept, inform strategic thinking and planning and provide a basis for assessing progress, gaps, and opportunities.
The GRI Standards are a powerful tool for the private sector to accrue, track and report environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues including health-related topics. The GRI Standards include specific health-related disclosures that may fall within the RWJF’s defined areas of “health”, namely GRI 401: Employment 2016, GRI 403: Occupational Health and Safety 2018, and GRI 416: Customer Health and Safety 2016. Other GRI Standards contain disclosures which are relevant for understanding an organization’s impact on health through, for example, its air emissions, waste generation and disposal, or marketing and labeling practices.
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