Quarterly News and Updates

September 2026

September 2026 marks the 20th anniversary of CPH-NEW—and two decades of working to ensure that people are not harmed by the work they do. Behind every workplace statistic is a person: a nurse facing burnout, a correctional officer navigating daily stress, a teacher struggling to stay in the profession, or a construction worker counting on returning home safely. For 20 years, we have worked alongside employees and organizations to uncover the often-hidden ways that work shapes health and to develop solutions that give workers a voice.

Our new impact report celebrates the people, partnerships, and progress that have defined this journey. Across more than 30 partner organizations, CPH-NEW’s research has helped reduce injury and workplace violence, strengthen mental and physical well-being, and bring participatory Total Worker Health^®approaches into workplaces. Our training and resources have reached more than 10,000 professionals, while our research and outreach activities have prepared 150 graduate and undergraduate students for careers in occupational safety and health, helping ensure that this work continues through the next generation. Explore 20 years of CPH-NEW’s impact.

A New and Improved Learning Experience from CPH-NEW

CPH-NEW’s continuing education courses are now available on a new, easier-to-use learning platform. The improved site makes it simpler to find and enroll in courses, learn at your own pace, and access certificates of completion. As always, all courses are available free of charge.

Along with the new platform, we have refreshed our course offerings. The former Total Worker Health® for Occupational Safety and Health Professionals course has been redesigned as two focused courses: Introduction to Total Worker Health ^®Principles and Fundamentals of Total Worker Health ^®Practice. We have also updated Ergonomics in Healthcare with refreshed content for nurses, nursing assistants, and healthcare managers.

With the new semester beginning, faculty could consider incorporating our Total Worker Health ^®for Students into their coursework to introduce students to the connections between work, health, safety, and well-being.

Building a National Response to Work-Related Stress

Work-related stress is an occupational health hazard linked to burnout, cardiovascular disease, injuries, and other threats to worker well-being. Yet the United States has few guidelines or regulations addressing psychosocial hazards such as excessive workloads, low job control, inadequate support, and limited worker voice.

The Work Stress Prevention Alliance brings together an interdisciplinary team to identifying gaps, developing expert guidance and resources, and building support for stronger policies and protections.

Representing CPH-NEW in this collaborative effort are Jennifer Cavallari, Suzanne Nobrega, Laura Punnett, and Serena Rice. Their contributions draw on CPH-NEW’s 20 years of research and practice addressing the organizational causes of work stress and engaging workers in creating healthier working conditions. Through the Alliance, CPH-NEW is helping advance a shared goal: preventing work-related stress at its source.

Measure What Matters with the NIOSH WellBQ

The NIOSH Worker Well-Being Questionnaire (WellBQ) is a free tool designed to help organizations assess workforce well-being and identify opportunities for improvement. Organizations can use the WellBQ to track changes in worker well-being over time, explore differences among groups, and compare results with data such as turnover, healthcare costs, and organizational scorecards to better understand the factors influencing well-being.

Events

September 9, 2026 11 am ET: Global Wellness Institute presents: Becoming An Employer of Choice: How Wellbeing Creates Business Value

September 9, 2026 5pm ET: Global Wellness Institute presents: From Perk to Strategy: A New Framework for Workplace Wellbeing

September 16, 2026 1pm ET: Health Links presents: The Recovery Friendly Workplace 2026

September 24, 2026 1pm ET: Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety presents: Young Fishermen's Initiative: Training the Next Generation of Commercial Fishermen

September 29, 2026 1pm ET: CPH-NEW presents: Total Worker Health^® Trends Expert Webinar Series: Workforce Wisdom at Work: Participatory Solutions for Complex Workplaces

October 2, 2026: Final day to register for the Total Worker Health Professional Development course. This course is offered through the University of Washington and the Oregon Healthy Workplace Center

Listen, Read, Watch

Points-Based Attendance Systems Associated With Presenteeism Despite Paid Sick Leave Protections

The Embodied Workplace: Building Culture Through Agency and Choiced Workplace: Building Culture Through Agency and Choice

Domestic Worker Health and Safety Training

Total Teacher Health Team Honored for Community-Engaged Research

The Total Teacher Health (TTH) research team has received UConn’s 2026 Provost’s Award for Excellence in Community-Engaged Scholarship in the Faculty Team–Research category. The award recognizes the team’s collaborative approach to addressing educator stress by engaging teachers and school staff directly in developing workplace solutions.

Through the Educator Well-being Program—adapted from CPH-NEW’s Healthy Workplace Participatory Program—the team partnered with educators, administrators, and unions in the Vernon and Windsor school districts. Schools implementing the program experienced reductions in anxiety, work-related stress, and work–life conflict, while educators reported feeling heard, valued, and empowered to improve their workplaces. Read more about the award and the Total Teacher Health team.

Total Worker Health^® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Participation by CPH-NEW does not imply endorsement by HHS, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). This publication was supported by Grant Number 1 U19 OH012299. Its contents are solely the responsibility of CPH-NEW and do not necessarily reflect the views of NIOSH.

CPH-NEW is a NIOSH TWH Center of Excellence

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