Why gratitude and support are the missing pieces in workplace well-being

The U.S. workplace is at a tipping point. Roughly two-thirds (66%) of employees say they feel disengaged, and nearly a fourth (22%) are experiencing burnout amid a swirl of economic and political uncertainty. For younger workers, in particular, disengagement is rooted in a deep-seated feeling of being undervalued and unsupported.

Rather than spending billions on corporate wellness programs, employers can thoughtfully leverage a simpler, yet profoundly human solution: a shared sense of connection. Research and practice suggest that small, intentional acts of gratitude and support are more than just "feel-good" measures — they're the bedrock of resilience, well-being, and a thriving workforce.

To better understand how to create this sense of connection, we initiated a series of experiments exploring gratitude and support-based interventions in workplace settings. Drawing inspiration from behavioral science research in healthcare and other fields, these studies tested whether seemingly small employer actions could yield meaningful improvements in employee well-being and return-to-work outcomes.

The findings were compelling: These interventions not only enhanced feelings of happiness and appreciation among employees but also facilitated quicker returns to work for those on short-term disability. Together, they reveal that fostering support may be the key to addressing many of today's workplace challenges.

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Gratitude as a force multiplier
Gratitude is more than a pleasantry; it's a psychological and social superpower. Studies show that expressing and receiving gratitude not only fosters happiness, but also improves job satisfaction, organizational commitment and mental health outcomes.

Our research, for example, focused on the impact of thank-you notes in workplace settings. In this study, employees who received gratitude-based notes consistently reported heightened feelings of happiness and appreciation. Notes from groups like community members and religious leaders resulted in the highest increases in feelings of happiness and appreciation, respectively.

This aligns with broader evidence of gratitude's transformative power. In healthcare, gratitude has been shown to enhance team performance, as demonstrated by NICU teams whose collaboration improved after receiving gratitude from patients' families. In elections, gratitude letters thanking individuals for voting have increased voter turnout.

Yet, the workplace remains fertile ground for exploring gratitude's benefits. Employers who embrace it as a cultural pillar may find it to be a relatively low-cost, high-impact way to foster a sense of belonging and connection.

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Facilitating returning to work after short-term disability
While gratitude strengthens workplace engagement, supporting employees during more challenging times — like a short-term disability (STD) leave — requires a tailored approach. For employees, the barriers to returning to work after STD often go beyond logistical challenges. Cognitive barriers like denial of one's condition, fear of relapse, or discomfort in requesting accommodations can perpetuate a "disability mindset," delaying recovery and reintegration.

Here, behavioral science offers actionable solutions. Research consistently finds that interventions involving regular check-ins and collaborative discussions about accommodations lead to better outcomes around returning to work after STD. However, these interventions can also be resource intensive.

To explore scalable alternatives, we examined the impact of low-touch, text message-based support relative to more traditional, higher-touch phone calls. Here, we find that messages of support delivered via text were as effective as calls, with both helping employees on STD who did return to work, to do so approximately seven to eight days sooner. Interestingly, despite the text messages being designed as one-way communications, almost half of the recipients responded, signaling employee appreciation for even this lower-touch level of support.

These findings highlight that even modest efforts can have an outsized impact. Employees value knowing their organization cares enough to check in, even if it's as simple as a well-crafted message of encouragement.

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The case for a culture of connection
The common thread between these two interventions — thank-you notes and supportive CBT-based messages — is the role of human connection. In a world where employees can sometimes feel underappreciated, these gestures remind them of their inherent value. This isn't just about boosting morale; it's about addressing fundamental psychological needs, like connection, that drive well-being and performance.

For organizations, the implications are clear. Building a culture of connection doesn't necessarily require expensive wellness programs or sweeping policy changes — it can be cultivated through small, intentional acts that acknowledge and support employees as whole people.

As workplaces grapple with disengagement and rising stress, the need for these measures has never been more urgent. Gratitude and support may not solve every workplace challenge, but they offer a powerful, human-centered foundation for resilience, well-being and growth.