Work, Policy, and Well-Being
Over the last 15 years—long before the pandemic exposed the precarious and stressful work conditions faced by many workers and highlighted the deep and growing socioeconomic inequalities in work conditions—the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies (HCPDS) was one of the only national population centers with “work and health” designated as a primary research focal area. Early on, HCPDS researchers identified work as a major social determinant of health, and to this day remain dedicated to investigating and reimagining how employee well-being (with a focus on low- to moderate-wage workers) can be better supported through policies and strategies that create a healthier and more productive labor force.
With U.S. life expectancy ranking near the bottom of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, and Americans suffering from more cardiovascular and metabolic disorders than nearly any Western European country, HCPDS remains committed to deepening the understanding of work as a social determinant of health to better illuminate the causes and potential solutions for population health problems and disparities.
Publications and media coverage of research by our affiliates related to Work, Policy, and Well-Being
Expanded version of “Work Design for Health” employer toolkit launched

The New York Times delves into why some workers retire sooner than planned while others stay longer than they anticipated

“Overtime” makes Princeton’s short list of Noteworthy Books in 2022

Study links changes in work environment with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease among most at-risk employees

Claudia Goldin is first solo woman to be awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences

Cross and Pedulla share ASA award for their work to advance the field of family sociology

Lisa Berkman presents at PAA’s Capital Hill briefing on aging baby boomer generation’s prospects of working longer

TIAA Institute Insights Report: “Policy solutions that implicitly expect almost everyone to delay retirement will leave many Americans behind”

Winter 2023 Harvard Public Health Magazine cites work by Berkman/Truesdale and Subramanian/Kim

Bell Fellow A. Nicole Kreisberg talks with The Boston Globe about ways that we can solve the labor shortage problem

What were the longer-term impacts for older workers who experienced a work disruption at the start of the pandemic?

“Change the workplace, not the worker”: More news about the Work and Well-Being Initiative’s role in advising the U.S. Surgeon General’s Office

Is there a secret to enabling an aging population working in the service sector to stay in the workforce longer?

Paid sick leave has added benefit of reducing gender inequality

Safeguarding the health of residential addiction treatment center workers could reduce worker turnover (and help their patients have better outcomes!)

Here’s a list of our faculty members whose research focuses on Work, Policy, and Well-Being…