Social health in the early intervention model

Including social health in the organization’s early intervention model supports social well-being, prevents loneliness, and strengthens a sense of community in the workplace.

The Social Health Early Intervention Model Process

Contents of the Social Health Early Intervention Model:

• Showing an interest in the social health of an employee
• Agreeing on a time for an early support discussion
• Finding solutions together
• Providing social support
• Promoting access to occupational health services

Showing an Interest in the Social Health of an Employee

The supervisor conducts early intervention discussions one-on-one with the employee.

well-being in the context of being a member of the community

A starting point to a discussion could be to ask how much the employee's overall well-being is related to being an accepted member of the workplace community. Occupational health services could alternatively raise the issue. 

Open communication and interest in the employee’s experiences at work helps to identify potential concerns early on.

Questions you can ask include:

• “How do you experience your social relationships with colleagues?”
• “Who can you turn to when you need help?”
• “Do you generally feel seen or heard in the workplace community?”
• “Do you feel appreciated for the work you do at work?”
• “Do you experience any loneliness at work?”

If the employee says that they feel lonely, you can continue with:

• “How does workplace loneliness affect your well-being and coping?”
• “What do you think causes your experience of loneliness at work?”
• “As your supervisor/occupational health professional can I help in anyway?”
• “What would help you at work or in your team to reduce loneliness?”

You can also map the employee’s social network at work and their satisfaction with social relationships and their functionality. For example:

• “Would you like more social contacts at work?”
• “How close do you feel your workplace relationships are?”
• “Do you have someone to turn to when you need help, or does anyone turn to you?”

Note that an employee may experience emotional loneliness even if they have many social contacts at work.

Agreeing on a Time for Early Support Discussion

It is a good idea to arrange early support discussions as soon as an employee's social well-being or work ability gives cause for concern. The situation can be examined more broadly: are the challenges related to working conditions, job description, skills, motivation, health, or workplace relationships (taking into account on-site, remote, and hybrid work)?

Example questions:

• “How are you doing? How are you coping?”
• “How would you describe the social relationships at your workplace?”
• “Do you feel like you are part of the work community/work team?”
• “What kind of support would you need from your supervisor or work team in your situation?” 

Finding Solutions Together

The aim of early intervention discussions is not only to listen, but also to work together to find concrete solutions that are suitable for the employee in order to maintain their working ability. At the same time, the supervisor supports the employee's social health. They can consider alternative solutions from the perspective of the work community and the team if the employee's reduced work ability is due to team dynamics or social health factors. 

Examples of solutions to reduce workplace loneliness:

• Increase contact with the employees at the individual or team level.
• Enable teamwork to be done in tasks usually done independently.
• Increase the amount of onsite work.
• Create opportunities for informal encounters and shared activities among employees.
• Build social interactions into daily work by scheduling shared break times or putting a weekly coffee catch-up into calendars so that everyone has an equal opportunity to attend.
• Discuss with occupational health or guide to other support services.
• Address any social exclusion or bullying if it occurs.
• Make shared social practices visible to the entire team and include them in onboarding materials (e.g., through a Room board exercise).

Providing Social Support

It is a good idea to arrange a follow-up meeting immediately after the discussion. This shows genuine interest and creates a sense of psychological security for the employee. Consistent behavior on the part of the supervisor is important, as it fosters positive interactions with and between employees.

In the follow-up discussion:

• Assess the current situation together.
• Reflect on how the agreed actions have worked or not worked, and what else could be tried.
• Propose using occupational health support if needed.

It can be difficult for a supervisor to discuss an employee's feelings and problems. Therefore, it is important for supervisors to be aware of their own limits and seek support, for example, from work supervision, if necessary.

Promoting Access to Occupational Health Services

Occupational health expertise can be used when the discussion reveals that social health issues are directly affecting the employee’s work or working abilities. The employee has the right to seek help, and the supervisors have an obligation to refer employees to occupational health care for the assessment and promotion of their working ability.

Towards a Socially Sustainable Working Life

It is important to discuss social strain, coping, and recovery regularly throughout the year. Early intervention is not just for special situations.

Everyone in the workplace should have the opportunity to be heard and to be seen. Then everything, including social health, can be discussed openly and naturally.

Supervisors can also talk about social health in the workplace in general terms during shared coffee breaks.

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This content is part of the inclusive tools for a caring workplace. Find out more about our community engagement tools here:

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