Core Values at Work—Essential Elements of a Healthy Workplace

This paper explores core values at work—those values that give meaning to people’s lives and their work, that allow each person to experience their work with passion, commitment, dignity, and respect. Though core values may appear to be simple and obvious, supporting them at work can be more complex and difficult than expected. These values are not only ethical and moral, but also social and cultural; they are intrinsically related to the same factors that promote health across the globe, including family, community, and work. Three seminars outlined the nature and importance of core values within occupational health and well-being; these sessions were held during the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) conferences between 2015 and 2020. A non-exhaustive, literature review explored these findings further. Perspectives from international, national, and local occupational health programs have begun to demonstrate how core values underpin workers’ well-being. These essential core values impact worker health positively when they are included and respected, and negatively when they are missing or corrupted. Within occupational safety and health (OSH), people’s awareness of these values and their importance at work is now clearly emerging, offering opportunities to honor and protect each worker and help them to experience their core values through their work.