CHAPTER 6

Toolkit

Introduction

This toolkit reflects best practices identified through engagement with frontline workers and agency leadership from various transit agencies nationwide. Frontline transit workers shared the wide array of difficulties they face on the job and described the mental health programs they believed would best support them. Focus groups of transit workers and agency leadership also provided insight into the best format for this toolkit.

The toolkit provides guidance for enhancing existing mental health and wellness programs and for implementing new ones, with a range of formats tailored to the specific type of improvement or program (e.g., narratives, worksheets, checklists, frameworks, and step-by-step guides). The toolkit also provides research on the overall business value of establishing mental health and wellness programs for frontline workers, which can support efforts to identify dedicated resources to fund these initiatives. The primary aim of this toolkit is to assist agencies in supporting their frontline workers by facilitating the development and delivery of effective mental health and wellness programs.

How to Use This Toolkit

Table 6.1 is meant to help you navigate this toolkit. First, read the key issue statements, and identify those that resonate with your agency. One or more toolkit components are identified for each key issue statement. Read the descriptions and issues addressed, and click on the desired component to jump to that section of the toolkit.

This section summarizes core Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) concepts. The conceptual framework of capability maturity was originally developed by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University. Formally known as CMMI, these concepts have been used for organizational performance improvement across many fields, including aerospace engineering and government. (For more information, see Godfrey, 2004). These concepts are especially useful for agencies, unions, and staff who are newer to evaluation, since the evaluation can be done qualitatively (What is working, and what needs improvement?) as well as quantitatively (How often does this need to happen to be successful?).

Table 6.2 defines five stages of capability maturity and provides examples of how these stages apply to management of mental health and wellness programs, namely employee assistance programs (EAPs) and union assistance programs (UAPs), at transit agencies. Capability maturity is used for evaluation throughout the transportation industry, most prominently by state departments of transportation for transportation systems management and operations (TSM&O).

Table 6.2. Capability maturity matrix.

Table 6.3. Worksheet: Marketing in EAPs and UAPs.

Table 6.4. Worksheet: Accessing services in EAPs and UAPs.

Table 6.5. Worksheet: Vendor and program evaluation in EAPs and UAPs.

Build Support and Gain Buy-In from Leadership

Buy-in from management and union leaders is essential for building support throughout the organization, approving related policies or processes, and securing funding. One of the best ways to gain management support is to clarify a wellness program’s impact on the bottom line. For more tips on how to gain buy-in and make the business case for a wellness program, see the toolkit sections Building Trust between Parties and How to Make the Case for Increased Benefits to Support Mental Health and Wellness.

Key questions include:

1. What are the benefits of the wellness initiative to the employees and the organization?
2. What are the strategic priorities of the organization, and how can a wellness program contribute to those priorities?

Establish a Wellness Committee

An internal, employee-driven committee contributes to a wellness culture and builds organizational support. A committee that represents employees across various departments builds in diversity of thought and perspective for the wellness program offerings. A committee can also help generate organizational support for the effort. Additionally, committee members can help get their peers onboard with wellness programs and activities, reducing the stigma associated with seeking mental health support.

Key questions include:

1. What programs and services are currently available to employees, and how do they meet current needs?
2. How can members of this committee best support and represent their peers?

Develop Goals and Objectives

With the information gleaned from assessments and surveys conducted in previous steps, the committee can develop goals and objectives for the wellness program. Goals are the intended long-term outcomes, while objectives support goals with time-limited wording that clearly defines achievement.

Key questions include:

1. What are the main goals of the program (e.g., reduced healthcare costs, improved productivity, increased retention)?
2. What are the success metrics of the program?

Establish a Budget

To ensure program longevity through steady funding, the wellness program budget needs to be informed by identified goals and objectives. A thorough budget estimate should include the cost of incentives, marketing, provider fees, meeting provisions, committee member time, etc.

Key questions include:

1. Would employees be willing to contribute to the budget (e.g., paying for a yoga class)?
2. What wellness benefits does the current health insurance provider offer? What wellness programs does the EAP or UAP vendor offer?
3. Are there low-cost activities or free community resources that could help meet employee needs?

Design Wellness Program Components

The assessment data and budget can be used to design the wellness program itself. Managers must ensure that there are no legal or compliance conflicts regarding ADA and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. (See also Table 6.7 for wellness program components.)

Key questions include:

1. What are the main risk behaviors to address? How would addressing these behaviors align with meeting the needs of employees?
2. Does the proposed wellness program avoid discrimination?

Develop Wellness Program Incentives or Rewards

Wellness programs can encourage participation by offering incentives with the hope of converting external rewards to intrinsic drive. Examples of incentives include the ability to accumulate points for participation in certain activities and exchange them for goods or gifts; other gifts or monetary rewards for participating in certain wellness program activities; and additional benefits, such as extra paid time off at work for completing certain activities. Competitions or challenges with prizes, such as a daily steps challenge, can also be effective at incentivizing participation in wellness activities.

Key questions include:

1. What kind of reward system would best address the risk behaviors?
2. How do the incentives help build long-term change?

Communicate the Wellness Plan

Once finalized, the wellness program needs to be communicated to the employees. A written wellness policy with a statement of intent and a description of involvement and the reward system can build participation. Marketing materials need to communicate that the organization’s social culture values health. (See also the Improving Communications and Marketing of Resources component of this toolkit.)

Key questions include:

1. Which examples, based on anecdotal scenarios, would provide the most clarity on the initiatives?
2. How can upper management support and endorse the program?

Evaluate the Success of the Program

Measuring the success of the program is essential in sustaining program support and participation. Baseline data from initial assessments can be used to monitor improvements. Examples of success indicators include participation rates, reduction in healthcare costs, and percentage of employees that stopped engaging in risk behavior. (See also the Program Evaluation and Evaluating and Improving EAPs and Union Assistance Programs components of this toolkit.)

Key questions include:

1. How has this program affected the well-being of employees and the overall culture of the organization?
2. How can you track the success of the wellness program against the identified goals and objectives?

Other Tips and Considerations for Building a Comprehensive Program

The following list includes some final considerations for developing a wellness program for frontline transit workers:

• Provide various offerings to cover the numerous challenges that frontline transit workers face, including wellness components that focus on both physical and mental health.
• Consider a variety of access methods: virtual, in person, group, and individual. Based on the survey of frontline transit workers (Chapter 3), there is a wide range of preferences for how to access wellness services.
• Build buy-in from top to bottom. Trust is a key reason why frontline workers feel isolated from transit agency managers and leaders. Involve frontline workers directly in program development to demonstrate that their employer values their input in agency decisions.

Table 6.10. Prepare supervisors to be empathetic and supportive.

Table 6.11. Provide or share information about coping, resiliency, and mental health resources.

Additional Resources

See the original checklist developed by OSHA (n.d.).

How to Make the Case for Increased Benefits to Support Mental Health and Wellness

Employee wellness is critical to maintaining a productive, resilient workforce in today’s rapidly changing employment landscape. Companies that prioritize the mental health and wellness of their employees not only exhibit a commitment to their staff’s overall well-being but also stand to yield substantial benefits in overall employee productivity and long-term business success. Specific benefits include lower healthcare costs, better recruitment and retention, reduced absenteeism, and improved employee engagement. Moreover, workplace health and wellness programs can help employees modify their lifestyles and move toward an improved state of wellness, even outside the

Table 6.12. Worksheet: How to make the case for increased benefits.

Additional Resources

• Corporate Wellness Magazine article, “The Benefits of Employee Mental Health Programs.”
• Jiang et al. (2023) article, “More Flexible and More Innovative: The Impact of Flexible Work Arrangements on the Innovation Behavior of Knowledge Employees.”
• HR Exchange Network article, “Employee Experience: The Business Case.”
• Kaiser Family Foundation article, “2022 Employer Health Benefits Survey.”
• Goetzel et al. (2018) article, “Mental Health in the Workplace: A Call to Action Proceedings from the Mental Health in the Workplace: Public Health Summit.”
• Mind Share Partners (2021) report, 2021 Mental Health at Work Report.
• NAMI (n.d.) webpage, Mental Health by the Numbers.
• Bushiri (2014) dissertation, “The Impact of Working Environment on Employees’ Performance: The Case of Institute of Finance Management in Dar es Salaam Region.”
• The Work Foundation report, The Business Case for Employee Health and Wellbeing.
• Tobacco-Free Life (n.d.) webpage, Cost of Smoking.
• Understood for All, Inc., article, “Workplace Mental Health: 5 Ways to Support Employee Wellness.”
• U.S. Office of Personnel Management fact sheet, “Business Case for Employees: Worksite Health & Wellness Campaign Fact Sheet.”
• WHO (n.d.) webpage, Mental Health and Substance Use.

Improving Communications and Marketing of Resources

By effectively marketing your agency’s mental health resources for frontline workers, you can expand their utilization, increasing their benefit to your agency’s workforce. The distributed nature of transit industry jobs (i.e., frontline workers primarily work off-site and have work shifts at all times of day) necessitates deliberate planning to effectively communicate with frontline employees. To address findings that frontline workers often feel uninformed about this programming, this section includes guidelines for communicating and marketing mental health resources.

Understanding Your Audience

Effective communication requires an intimate knowledge of your audience. While the audience may seem obvious for communications with frontline employees, taking a few minutes to consider the job classifications that compose this group might yield some surprises. When interviewed about how best to communicate with frontline workers, transit workers generated substantially different answers to this question, even among individuals working at the same agency. Discussions with colleagues on how best to reach frontline workers ensure that marketing efforts reach all individuals who might benefit from mental health resources.

Equally critical to identifying your audience is recognizing their unique needs. An ideal means of communication for one transit worker might be totally inaccessible for another. The easiest way to understand what works for your employees or union members is to ask them. The Utah Transit Authority recruited a team of employees to develop a plan for connecting with employees to promote the accessibility of information. This approach ensures that diverse workforce needs are considered. If your agency does not have a task force dedicated to improving communications, then periodically check in with employees and ask what does and does not work for communicating mental health and wellness resources.

Making the Connection

Clearly communicating resources from onboarding through retirement is critical. Depending on your agency’s size, the agency may need to hire a dedicated staff person to coordinate

Table 6.13. Worksheet: Communicating and marketing mental health resources.

Additional Resources

See also the Mass Transit Magazine article “Improving Internal Communication” and the Transit Center article “Baltimore MTA’s ‘In-Reach’ Program Meets Bus Operators Where They Are.”

Building Trust between Parties

Trust can be defined as belief in the ability and integrity of another person or entity. It begins with authenticity from all parties involved and relies on the understanding that although there may be some interests at odds with each other, parties are engaging in conversations and collaborating in good faith. Trust between management, workers, and labor is integral for any transit agency to function well and provide high-quality service. Historically, trust has not been easy to maintain. Safety concerns, scheduling difficulties, operator pay, legislative changes, and budgetary constraints have frequently tested relations between parties, often diminishing recruitment and retention, employee satisfaction, and service.

Likewise, COVID-19 had a profound effect on transit agencies and workers, making it even more difficult for agencies to recruit and retain frontline workers. This was particularly true early in the pandemic, when rapidly changing restrictions and conflicting messaging from local, state, and federal health officials made it difficult for frontline transit employees to know what was being done to keep them safe. Some employees interviewed for this study reported frustrations with the quality and consistency of contact tracing at their agency, making them wonder if administrative failures were leaving them unnecessarily vulnerable.

To address short staffing, workers at many agencies are being asked to pick up more hours to cover the shifts needed to deliver scheduled transit service. Transit agencies nationwide are facing shortages and low retention rates for frontline workers. One of the principal factors affecting retention rates is the mental and physical strain associated with operating a transit vehicle and handling passenger incidents. Now, more than ever, it is crucial for agencies and unions to work together to protect workers while ensuring that service is not diminished.

The following section of this toolkit describes a three-step process (Figure 6.2) to build and support positive relationships and increase trust between agency leadership, union leadership, and frontline transit workers.

Step 1: Define the Issues

Many of the issues faced by agencies, unions, and frontline workers are shared among all parties. From an agency perspective, low retention rates have directly affected the levels of transit service they can deliver. Workforce shortages have become common throughout the nation, and agencies are struggling to provide reliable transit services. Current workers have seen the effects of low retention rates and workforce shortages firsthand; demand for service has often led to workers taking on more or longer shifts to provide a minimum level of service. Transit operators have

To help navigate this section, Table 6.15 provides commonly faced challenges or sentiments within transit agencies and training offerings that can potentially alleviate those issues. Each training offering is broken down in further detail below for guidance on implementation.

Training A: Empathy Training for Managers

Empathy and communication training helps managers improve dialogue and leadership skills that focus on strengthening the relationship (i.e., trust) between leadership, managers, and frontline workers. Table 6.16 lists key elements necessary to build an empathy and communication training program, as well as a few resources for doing so.

Training B: Leadership and Manager Ride-Alongs

Day-in-the-life experiences can help managers and leaders better understand the challenges faced by their employees. The leadership ride-alongs described in this section are a key training identified by the frontline workers surveyed for this project. Ride-alongs are a valuable tool that gives agency leadership and management important insights into the day-to-day experiences of frontline transit workers. By placing managers with workers on the frontlines, ride-alongs also allow workers to share their concerns or suggestions for how to improve the operator experience directly with the people who can make those improvements. Table 6.17 provides a few components required to implement leadership ride-alongs.

Table 6.15. Training solutions for common challenges.

Table 6.16. Key elements of empathy and communication training.

Table 6.17. Implementation of leadership ride-alongs.

Table 6.19. CIRT drill cards.

Post-Incident Support Best Practices

Post-incident support has become essential to public transit workers, especially given the rise in traumatic experiences faced by workers in the field. Based on engagement with frontline workers conducted for this study, 69% of workers reported that they were threatened or saw someone else verbally or physically threatened, 33% of workers noted they had been physically assaulted or saw someone else be physically assaulted, and 9% witnessed an incident involving death by suicide or attempted suicide at work. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has become increasingly common for frontline transit workers and operators due to incidents like these. Best practices in post-incident support can help agencies better support frontline workers following traumatic situations.

Following a potentially traumatic incident, agencies should consider providing the following services to involved workers:

• Connect the impacted worker with resources through the employee assistance program (EAP). For some incidents this may be a requirement, but managers should communicate that any required follow-on counseling or training is not punishment but rather supportive services to help the worker recover and return to work.
• Ensure continuity of care is available after EAP-funded services are expended. Some individuals may feel ready to return to work after only a few counseling sessions, while others may need continued access to services to heal from a traumatic incident and feel safe at work. How will the agency continue providing access to care once EAP-funded or employer-mandated care is expended?
• Be flexible with employees returning to work following a traumatic incident. Recovery may not look the same or take the same length of time for all individuals. Consider implementing flexible policies that allow workers to return to a normal work schedule following a traumatic incident in a way that suits each unique recovery process. Keep in mind that a return to work may be influenced by financial considerations. Ensuring that workers are financially secure is key to their mental health recovery.
• Pair the impacted frontline worker with a peer or mentor who is experienced and can help the worker navigate post-incident paperwork. Ensure that peers are aware of their role in supporting the impacted frontline worker rather than promoting “toxic positivity.” The peer or mentor should also be available for emotional support and periodically check in with the worker to see how they are recovering from the incident. This can help reduce the stigma associated with independently seeking out care for mental health.

Workplace Mental Health Checklist

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) provides a checklist that managers can use to support mental health in the workplace. The OSHA (n.d.-b) checklist was developed due to the reported rise in the number of people experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depressive disorders. The following section includes elements of the OSHA checklist that have been applied to frontline transit workers.

Ensure Management Is Compassionate

Remind frontline transit workers and other agency staff that you are committed to supporting their mental health and wellness. This may include

• Issuing an agencywide statement about the importance of mental health and wellness in the workplace;
• Identifying and reminding workers of available resources or staff they can access;
• Promoting a judgment-free workplace where workers can openly talk about negative experiences, without the fear of retribution or negative consequences;

Additional Resources

See also Transit Workforce Shortage Synthesis Report (APTA, 2023).

Fostering Community among Frontline Transit Workers

The U.S. Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being noted that a sense of community is important because social support contributes to a sense of belonging, which reduces feelings of isolation and loneliness (U.S. Surgeon General, 2022a). Building strong relationships is essential for building trust among transit employees, developing a culture of collaboration and teamwork, and creating an overall sense of belonging. It can be challenging for frontline transit workers to build a sense of community when they often work alone and away from their colleagues. This can be isolating, and it may leave workers feeling like they do not have supportive peers or managers who understand the challenges of their jobs. Building a community among frontline workers is challenging—it requires out-of-the-box approaches along with concerted and thoughtful programming. The following are some creative ways to build a sense of community among frontline transit workers who may not naturally have an opportunity to engage with their peers.

Create a Strong Set of Core Values

A positive work culture starts with defining core values for the workforce to embody. Having a shared language for workplace values helps establish a feeling of community among employees. Core values should ground an agency’s work, represent the best of the organization, set the organization apart from other workplaces, and provide a guiding light when faced with difficult choices. (See FTA’s core values in Figure 6.4.)

Defining core values is a process that should include employees and leaders alike. If your transit agency has not established an official set of core values, consider creating a committee

It can be difficult to accommodate all employees to attend in-person volunteer events at once. Think about a week of events or recurring activities that happen on different days of the week and at different times of the day so that everyone has the opportunity to participate, if they wish.

Use Storytelling to Create a Sense of Shared Experiences

Incorporating employee and leader testimonials into organizational communications helps bring a personal connection to the workforce. Storytelling helps connect employees to their work and bring meaning to seemingly menial tasks. Transit agencies can solicit stories of both exceptional and ordinary events in which frontline workers impacted the lives and communities they serve. For example, highlight a transit employee who goes out of their way to help a member of the riding public. Interview the employee and impacted rider, gather quotes and photos of both the rider and the employee, and share these materials in a poster or virtual medium, such as an employee newsletter.

Peer Support Groups

Peer support groups allow workers to discuss challenges and difficulties with peers who are experiencing similar circumstances. Peer support groups allow workers to discuss issues openly in a group setting, giving workers access to many new perspectives that can help them navigate challenging situations. Group sessions can also build camaraderie and trust among teams, creating a support network that can work together to solve common problems.

Employee Resource Groups

Employee resource groups (ERGs) have become a common practice throughout the modern work landscape to foster diverse and inclusive workplaces. ERGs are often comprised of members who share a common characteristic, such as gender identity, ethnicity, race, or life circumstance. ERGs bring together workers with similar backgrounds or identities to foster a safe space for them to express their concerns and propose new solutions. ERGs also provide mentorship opportunities through the sharing of common experiences. For example, an ERG for new parents can be especially helpful for transit workers due to the difficulties of balancing irregular schedules with childcare.

Develop a DEI Committee

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) committees help workplaces bring changes and implement policies or programs to increase diversity, ensure employees are treated equitably, and identify ways to be more inclusive in the workplace or break down barriers for employees so they feel a sense of belonging.

University of Southern California (2023) defines a five-step process for establishing a DEI committee:

1. Identify potential DEI committee members from various backgrounds. Include employees from various departments, racial and ethnic backgrounds, and life stages.
2. Recruit members. Emphasize that committee membership is voluntary.
3. Create organizational buy-in for DEI efforts. Demonstrate support from the top and bottom of the organization to create buy-in. Allocate paid time and resources to committee members so they can complete their duties.
4. Define clear and actionable goals. Begin by drafting a mission statement, and then define short- and long-term goals.
5. Establish processes to communicate and weather change. Committee membership is bound to fluctuate and change over time, so consistency of processes for adding members, maintaining regular meetings, and communicating among members is key to the committee’s longevity.

Additional Resources

See these additional resources for ways to build community among frontline transit workers:

• The U.S. Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being (U.S. Surgeon General, 2022a).
• Society for Human Resource Management’s “How to Engage Employees in a Hybrid Workplace” and Managing Employee Recognition Programs.
• WebMD Health Services’ How to Build a Sense of Community in the Workplace.
• The Management Center’s How to Develop and Use Core Values.
• University of Southern California (2023), How to Create a DEI Committee So More Voices Can Be Heard.

Developing and Implementing Mentor and Peer Programs

Engagement with frontline workers demonstrated a high level of interest in mentorship or peer programs to support new employees. Based on research findings and engagement, frontline workers may be more inclined to seek and accept support from peers or mentors than from supervisors or mental health professionals. Established mentoring programs have been cited by many agencies as a key factor in the retention of new employees. Mentoring programs provide an opportunity for on-the-job training from individuals who have experience with the issues new employees will face and necessary strategies for dealing with those issues.

This section contains a framework for developing of a mentorship program, based on research from other agencies and industries. This framework was developed with elements from A 5-Step Guide to Start a Mentoring Program (Together Mentoring, n.d.) as well as Creating a Mentor Program (Society for Human Resource Management, n.d.), both of which provide key steps and list the various types of mentorship.

Establish Goals for the Mentorship or Peer Program

The first step in developing a mentorship program is to establish goals. It is important for agencies to decide what they would like to achieve with the program. For example, potential goals may include

• Providing emotional and mental health support,
• Improving employee retention,
• Creating future mentors and leaders within the agency, and
• Promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Agencies should also develop objectives that measure the success of established goals. For example, agencies could measure retention rates before and after the program is implemented. In some cases, agencies have set up control groups to measure the effect of programs on retention rates more accurately.

Goals should be developed in coordination with frontline workers and can be developed with the support of unions through labor-management partnerships. (See Case Study 9: Training and Mentorship for Retention and Advancement, which details the mentorship program developed by Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority in partnership with the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265.)

Additional things to consider including in a mentor program include

• Paid time to participate in the program,
• Special bonuses for more tenured employees to act as mentors, and
• Training for mentors and resources for them to use, as applicable.

Select a Program Model

There are a variety of models for mentorship or peer programs, each with its own benefits and shortcomings. After goals are established, agencies and unions must determine which mentorship model will fit agency needs and goals. Different mentorship models include traditional, one-on-one mentorship; group mentorship; peer-to-peer mentorship; peer support groups; employee resource groups; and speed mentoring, among others.

Traditional, One-on-One Mentorship

One-on-one is the most common form of mentoring. Each mentee is paired with a mentor, typically a more tenured employee. Mentors in the transit agency can ride along with new employees on their first days, providing important advice and strategies to face daily challenges. Senior mentors can also provide a sense of job security for new employees, demonstrating how far they can advance within the agency. One-on-one mentors provide personalized attention, trusting relationships, and tailored advice. This type of mentoring is particularly important for transit workers due to the nuanced challenges they face dealing with customers, traffic, and vehicle operations.

Group Mentorship

Mentees are placed in groups with a mentor who can lead discussions and provide specialized support. Although advice may not be as tailored or specific as it would be in the traditional mentorship model, this model gives participants the opportunity to learn from someone senior as well as their peers, who are facing similar challenges. This type of program can also be more far-reaching, allowing for more mentees with fewer mentors. Among frontline transit workers, this type of program can be especially helpful for bus drivers who operate similar routes or encounter common issues at the same stations or locations.

Peer-to-Peer Mentorship

Peer-to-peer mentorship (sometimes called a “buddy program”) is a form of mentorship that is used across many industries. “Buddies” are often peers at a similar level to a new hire who can provide important, role-specific feedback. This mentorship model can also foster openness, as mentees are less likely to be afraid of retribution if they are expressing concerns to a peer rather than someone in a supervisory role. Within the transit industry, a buddy program can provide important advice on topics that are not often discussed with managers, including advice on combatting fatigue, and open a dialogue about hygiene or cleanliness when using shared vehicles.

Peer Support Groups

Peer support groups allow workers to discuss challenges and difficulties with peers who are experiencing similar circumstances. Peer support groups allow workers to discuss issues openly in a group setting, which can allow workers to hear many new perspectives that can help them navigate challenging situations. Group sessions can also build camaraderie and trust among teams, creating a support network that can work together to solve common problems.

Employee Resource Groups

Employee resource groups (ERGs) have become a common practice throughout industries to foster diverse and inclusive workplaces. ERGs are often comprised of members who share a common characteristic, such as gender identity, ethnicity, race, or life circumstances. ERGs bring together workers with similar backgrounds and create a safe space for workers so they can express their concerns and come together to propose new solutions. ERGs also provide mentorship opportunities through the sharing of common experiences. For example, an ERG for new parents can be especially helpful for transit workers due to the difficulties of balancing irregular schedules with childcare.

Speed Mentoring

Speed mentorship programs provide employees with an opportunity to talk with a different senior coworker every so often to acquire different perspectives from leadership and experienced workers. Speed, or flash, mentoring provides the opportunity to develop relationships in workplaces that are siloed. Speed mentoring can also be less time-consuming, which can be helpful for transit workers who are experiencing increased work demands.

Identify and Appoint Mentors

A crucial aspect of developing a mentorship program is the process of selecting mentors. To develop criteria for selecting mentors, agencies and unions can look to their mission and vision statements as well as their core values. This will also enable them to identify frontline workers who exemplify what it means to work at their agency. The Joint Workforce Investment (JWI), mentioned previously in this toolkit, started its mentorship program by identifying champions within the agency who demonstrated the organization’s core values. Agencies and unions should also give employees the opportunity to ask for mentorship positions, with an understanding that while not everyone can be assigned as a mentor, passionate people are encouraged to seek positions of leadership.

Mentorship programs also provide a framework for a career ladder program. Mentors who participate in the program can gain important skills that are necessary for management positions, opening opportunities for internal promotions. By implementing mentorship programs, agencies are building future leaders within the organization and identifying employees with high potential for management while ensuring employee succession.

Measure Success

As stated earlier, agencies and unions need to continue monitoring the effectiveness of their mentorship programs using consistent and measurable objectives. For example, the JWI measured success using four different metrics: operator attendance, retention, accident occurrences, and customer service complaints. Measuring success is crucial to understanding whether the mentorship program is successful or if other tools are necessary to improve the mental health and well-being of frontline transit workers.

To learn more about the JWI and its mentorship program development, please see Case Study 9: Training and Mentorship for Retention and Advancement.

Additional Resources

• High Road Training Partnerships: The High Road to Public Transit.
• Creating a Mentor Program (Society for Human Resource Management, n.d.).

Self-Advocacy Tools

In November 2022, the U.S. Surgeon General released a groundbreaking report on workplace mental health. The report, The U.S. Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being (2022a), discusses an essential framework for fostering a mentally strong workplace that focuses on the worker’s voice.

As you seek to support your mental health and well-being at work, it is vital that you exercise your voice as a frontline transit employee. As an employee, the actions you take independently and with your peers can increase your agency’s awareness of the importance and many benefits—to both employees and the overall agency—of supporting frontline worker mental health and resiliency.

As a self-advocate, your voice and actions can

• Promote the importance of advocating for employee mental health and reducing the stigma associated with seeking help;
• Contribute to the development and implementation of policies, programs, and resources at your agency to benefit frontline employee mental health and well-being;
• Help educate your peers on the available resources to support frontline workers’ mental health and well-being; and
• Foster a culture of inclusion, connectivity, and well-being that will contribute to the success and resiliency of your agency and its workforce.

This section of the toolkit provides direction and resources for frontline transit workers to advocate on behalf of themselves and their peers. Included in this section are

• Understanding Workers’ Rights,
• Dialogue and Effective Communication with Management,
• Human Resources as a Partner, and
• Peer Advocacy and Resource Groups.

Understanding Workers’ Rights

Workers’ rights include various human rights, from decent work and freedom of association to equal opportunity and protection against discrimination. These rights also extend to specific aspects of the workplace, including health and safety regulations and the right to privacy. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), about 2.78 million workers die annually from occupational accidents and work-related diseases (United Nations Global Compact, n.d.).

Since 1919, the ILO has worked with its constituents (governments, employers, and workers) to develop international labor standards that outline basic principles and rights at work. Among these standards, the ILO’s governing body has identified eight conventions as “fundamental” since they address critical aspects of workers’ rights. These fundamental conventions encompass freedom of association, collective bargaining, equal pay, nondiscrimination, and eliminating forced and child labor. In addition to these fundamental conventions, the ILO has also developed non-fundamental conventions covering a range of issues related to workers’ rights, including wages, working hours, occupational health and safety, maternity protection, and social security. Prior research strongly suggests that workers’ rights—including union power, employment protection legislation, and income security arrangements—positively affect productivity and real wage growth.

The U.S. Department of Labor, whose primary mission is to support and protect the well-being of American workers, advocates for forming and organizing unions and collective bargaining. Workers’ voices are critical for a better work environment, a productive workplace, and long-term sustainable improvements in labor standards compliance. The U.S. National Labor Relations Act addresses the right to create a workers’ union as a bargaining representative for improving wages and working conditions. Employees have the right to be represented by unions fairly, in good faith, and without discrimination. This includes several actions, such as collective bargaining, handling grievances, and operating hiring halls.

Dialogue and Effective Communication with Management

Communicating effectively with senior management about frontline worker mental health can benefit you and your peers. Engaging agency leaders on this topic can enhance their understanding of the diverse issues affecting the mental health of their frontline workforce. These conversations can also prompt leadership to establish supportive programs and resources that promote frontline workers’ mental health.

Prior evidence suggests that a lack of proper communication from higher management could lead to uncertainty, apprehension, lack of knowledge, and a sense of uncontrollability over the situation, resulting in significant anxiety and mental health issues among frontline workers. Building a strategic communication plan with senior management may be very useful to succeed in your job and to reduce work-related stress.

Strategies and tips for engaging in an effective dialogue with senior management include

1. Communicate often with leadership to maintain a healthy working relationship and understand their work-related expectations.
2. Seek continual feedback about your job performance.
3. Have an open mind, a positive attitude, and a willingness to find the middle ground.
4. Write down the key points you hope to discuss before meeting with your manager.
5. Be an active listener, and if you do not understand something, ask your manager to repeat or clarify what was said.
6. Be sure to request important job-related information, such as salary raises and hour changes, through email or other written forms of communication.
7. State your needs clearly and calmly, such as “I need the information” instead of “You did not give me the information.”
8. Discuss issues with your manager before they become insurmountable.
9. Use frequent communication and regular meetings during a difficult phase.
10. Avoid speaking with management when you are experiencing strong negative emotions, such as anger.
11. Avoid gossip in the workplace.
12. Use visuals to explain your point (e.g., posters, charts, infographics).
13. Follow internal communication platforms, such as newsletters, to get updates and relevant information about your job and organization.
14. Engage in cross-functional projects or teams, where you may have the opportunity to interact directly with your manager.
15. Ask open-ended questions of your managers—such as “What do you mean by [x]?” or “What brought you to this decision?”—to gain a better understanding of the issues.

Human Resources as a Partner

Your agency’s human resources (HR) department is an important resource for supporting your mental health and well-being. The HR team is knowledgeable about agency policies, your rights and responsibilities as an employee, and details on the resources and potential accommodations available to support your mental health and well-being.

One of the key resources typically available is an employee assistance program (EAP). You may have some familiarity with your agency’s EAP offerings, but there may be additional information on how the EAP can aid you. The HR team is well-versed in these offerings and can provide you with detailed information that may assist you and your family. If you work within a labor union, a union assistance program with resources and tools may also be available to you.

In addition to seeking out HR for resources and programs to support your mental health, you can also seek their leadership in promoting staff education about the available resources to support frontline workers’ mental health.

Peer Advocacy and Resource Groups

There can be tremendous power and benefit to establishing a workplace peer support network or resource group organized around employee mental health and wellness. Peer advocacy and resource groups can

• Provide a way for you to share personal, lived experiences as a frontline worker with your peers and normalize discussion of mental health concerns;
• Foster camaraderie, social support, connections, relationship-building, and a feeling of community among your peers;
• Encourage collaboration, teamwork, and a culture of inclusion;
• Generate broader agency awareness for the importance of recognizing and addressing issues that affect frontline workers’ mental health and well-being;
• Offer a mechanism to amplify your voice, and the voices of your peers, to agency leadership and management on the topic of frontline worker mental health and well-being;
• Present an opportunity for you and your peers to educate one another on agency resources available to support frontline worker mental health and well-being;
• Stimulate conversations about ideas, actions, policies, and programs that may support your mental health and well-being;
• Create a channel by which you can collectively advocate for frontline worker mental health; and
• Reduce the stigma that often surrounds mental health conditions.

Peer resource groups can promote frontline worker mental health through a variety of actions and activities, including convening events to promote social connection and increased awareness for mental health issues, sharing educational resources, developing agencywide campaigns focused on frontline worker mental health, and providing a venue for fostering workplace social connections and connectivity. You and your peers can also collaborate with your HR team and senior management to develop or acquire relevant training and educational materials on topics such as mental health first aid.

Frontline transit workers who participated in this research offered two examples of different types of peer resource groups implemented at agencies throughout the nation. These examples focus primarily on building social connections among frontline workers rather than directly advocating for mental health concerns. However, they noted mental health benefits associated with participating in these organized peer groups:

• Creating an equity and inclusion team focused on providing opportunities for all agency personnel to connect with one another and the larger community in which they work. A component of this program involves agency staff volunteering to attend community festivals and events. At these gatherings, they often represent their transit agency to support recruitment activities and bring a static bus to the event that the public can explore to learn more about public transit.
• Establishing an employee club or engagement committee that offers group social experiences, such as organized outings to a baseball game or opportunities to participate in other community events.

To form a peer resource group that promotes frontline worker mental health, builds overall social connectivity, and fosters an inclusive culture at your transit agency, you can take the following steps:

• Converse with your peers to determine their interest in establishing an employee resource group or wellness committee. At a minimum, all frontline employees should be invited to participate so that diverse voices and opinions can be shared.
• Collaborate with management to ensure their awareness of the group’s formation and its goal of supporting employee mental health as well as business goals.
• Establish goals for the group, and discuss strategies to achieve those goals.
• Determine group logistical details, such as a meeting location (e.g., in person or virtual) and frequency of meetings and events. Keep in mind that shift schedules may prevent all frontline workers from participating at the same time, so focus on ensuring that all can be accommodated at least some of the time.
• Develop a strategy to “spread the word” in your agency about the group’s activities, and determine preferred communication methods, such as word of mouth, posters, newsletters, social media, and webpages.