What does it truly mean to have a healthy workforce? That question brought together leaders from across the occupational health landscape – professional organizations, employers, labor representatives, and insurers – at the Healthy Worker Summit, hosted by ACOEM with funding support from Ardmore Institute of Health on April 23, 2026, in Chicago, Illinois.
While perspectives varied, the conversation quickly revealed a shared understanding that meaningful progress will require more than new programs or policies. It will require a shift in how we define, measure, and prioritize worker health.
Participants consistently returned to the idea that a “healthy worker” is not simply someone free from injury or illness, but someone who is supported physically, mentally, and socially, and able to thrive both inside and outside of work. This broader view reframes workforce health as not only a clinical or safety concern, but as a reflection of workplace culture, leadership, and the overall design of work itself.
Much of the discussion focused on the growing recognition that many of today’s challenges, particularly burnout, are driven less by individual behavior and more by system-level factors. Workload, staffing, organizational expectations, and psychological safety all shape the day-to-day experience of employees. As a result, solutions that focus solely on individual resilience are unlikely to succeed without addressing the underlying conditions in which people work.
At the same time, participants acknowledged the practical realities organizations face. There remains a strong need to connect workforce health efforts to measurable outcomes through retention, engagement, or productivity. Yet this has also created tension, as the long-term value of prevention and well-being is often difficult to capture within short-term decision-making frameworks. Bridging that gap between what is known to improve health and what drives organizational action emerged as a central challenge.
Trust also surfaced as a critical ingredient. Workers are more likely to engage in health initiatives when they feel those efforts are designed with their needs in mind and delivered in a supportive, transparent environment. Without that foundation, even well-funded programs may struggle to gain traction. Participants emphasized that embedding health into everyday workplace practices through leadership, communication, and safe team dynamics can be far more impactful than standalone initiatives.
Perhaps most notably, the Summit highlighted how much opportunity remains untapped. Simple, practical interventions, such as supporting better sleep, nutrition, connection, and physical activity can make a meaningful difference, yet are often overlooked in favor of more complex solutions. At the same time, greater collaboration across sectors was identified as essential to scaling what works and aligning efforts across the broader system.
Ultimately, the conversation came to a clear conclusion: improving worker health is not the responsibility of any single group, nor can it be achieved through isolated efforts. It requires a shared commitment to aligning incentives, building trust, and embedding health into the fabric of work. As the workplace continues to evolve, so too must the strategies that support it ensuring that worker health is recognized not just as a benefit, but as a foundational element of a thriving workforce.
ACOEM will be publishing a paper with more details on findings. Publication date is forthcoming.