Health and Wellness Through Dow's Total Worker Health®
Originally published in Dow's 2022 INtersections Progress Report
Aligned to our 2025 Sustainability Goals, Dow’s Total Worker Health® (TWH) index weighs a composite score based on three strategic elements: Healthy Workplace, Healthy People and Healthy Culture. We continued to make progress and exceeded our internal targets in 2022, keeping us on track to achieve a 100% score by 2025. See GRI 403: Occupational Health & Safety for more information.
Dow Launches Its Well-Being Portal
The Dow Well-Being Portal officially launched to employees in 2022. The hub, hosted on a mobile app, offers a variety of resources geared toward supporting the well-being of our employees – emotionally, financially, mentally, physically and socially. “Wellbeing champions” volunteered to generate awareness, increase engagement and advocate for the benefits of using the portal. They are committed to continue to do so in 2023.
HEALTHY WORKPLACE: RISK REDUCTION
The reduction of high-priority health risks (P1s) is one of four metrics within the TWH® index. For example, we routinely evaluate our workplaces to identify ways to reduce these risks: potential exposure to chemicals, high noise levels and ergonomic stressors. In 2022, additional progress was made to reduce such risks. Here are some examples:
- The Integrated Supply Chain function made investments to install a robotic system and a bag reject conveyor in Plaquemine, Louisiana, which led to increased production, cost savings, eliminated ergonomic risks and increased work efficiency by nearly 25%.
- Our ethoxylates plant in Saint Charles, Louisiana, reduced full-shift noise exposure below the occupational exposure limit after the implementation of mufflers on rail car vent outlets.
- Our Consumer Solutions business implemented a new, lower-noise raw material charging ventilation system, which significantly reduced full-shift noise exposure at our Campinas, Brazil, site.
- An enclosed drainage system was installed for 42 pumps at the Tarragona facility in Spain, which eliminated benzene and butadiene exposure potential associated with pump purging activities.
HEALTHY CULTURE: TRACKING OUR PROGRESS
Since we started tracking our progress in 2015, our performance against our healthy culture metrics has improved each year, exceeding our 2025 target. Worksites, from offices to plants, annually self-assess their efforts to maintain or improve employee health through a healthy culture survey. As of 2022, 105 sites have received a gold or platinum rating.
Our U.S. sites piloted the Well-Being Champion Network to promote the portal and improve enrollment and engagement within the region. More than 400 individuals have volunteered to be champions.
Our 2022 global goals for the Well-Being Portal were for at least 50% of eligible employees to have enrolled by year-end and to maintain portal engagement of 60% or above.
HEALTHY PEOPLE: DESTIGMATIZING MENTAL HEALTH
We are working to destigmatize mental health by providing resources that help employees deal with personal or work-related challenges. In 2022, we continued to expand mental health resources. For example:
- Our MeQuilibrium partnership powered by Virgin Pulse provides a free, digital tool on our Dow Well-Being Portal to help employees manage their emotional resilience. More than 8,500 employees, or 23% of the eligible population, are enrolled to use MeQuilibrium.
- The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a tool for employees to use in maintaining positive mental health and helping them navigate life’s challenges. Available in all regions, EAP services are available 24/7, 365 days a year, offering free confidential, professional guidance and support for employees and their dependents.
- We continued to analyze the health of our population through our medical questionnaires that also focus on mental and lifestyle health. This strategy has opened a line of communication between employees and occupational health providers, better equipping our workers with resources and access to the support they might need.
Listen Up! Seeks to Prevent Hearing Loss and Promote Inclusion
Dow introduced Listen Up!, a global video series where employees shared firsthand accounts on the impact of congenital hearing loss, or other hearing disabilities that were non-work-related. This series of videos had a high impact on our employees. It sensitized Team Dow to the importance of the protection of hearing quality on and off the job, and also the importance of an inclusive culture for those with disabilities.
Dow received Gold Level recognition from the American Heart Association for workplace health achievement. This achievement is reflective of our continued commitment to reducing stress and burnout, addressing health inequities and supporting organizational wellbeing. It is aligned with our steady healthy culture improvement.
