IWBI Launches WELL Equity Rating for Health

NEW YORK -- The International WELL Building Institute has launched the WELL Equity Rating, a new rating designed to help organizations act on their diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility goals, and improve company culture and employee health.

Over 30 leading organizations – including Empire State Realty Trust, JLL, Shaw Industries and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry – have already enrolled in the rating, demonstrating their commitment to creating places where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive.

IWBI’s vision aligns with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s definition of health equity where “everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible.” Unlike equality, which involves giving everybody the same thing, equity “recognizes that each person has different circumstances and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome."

By providing an evidence-based roadmap, the WELL Equity Rating empowers organizations to better address the needs of marginalized and underserved populations and take an action-oriented approach to creating equitable, people-first places.

The rating includes more than 40 features spanning six action areas: user experience and feedback, responsible hiring and labor practices, health benefits and services, supportive programs and spaces, and community engagement. It validates an organization’s actions to advance health and well-being; celebrate diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) and accessibility; and promote sensitivity while addressing disparities in populations that have been traditionally marginalized or underserved.

“Organizations worldwide are embracing the powerful role place can play in leveling the playing field and ensuring everyone feels welcome, seen and heard,” said Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO, IWBI. “Many organizations have made commitments to DEI, but precious few have a roadmap for activation. The WELL Equity Rating is a transformative new offering that empowers organizations to make good on their promises— with evidence-based strategies and actions that improve and strengthen company culture, advance DEI goals and address disparities in underserved populations.”

For two years, IWBI has been collaborating with its Health Equity Advisory, learning from more than 200 participating expert Advisors from 26 countries. A prestigious group of more than 40 co-chairs led the Advisory, lending their tremendous knowledge and expertise in health equity, DEI, community building and belonging, and accessible design. The development process also included feedback and input from others with lived experience who represent the target populations prioritized by the rating. These include BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and other people of color), first-generation immigrants, LGBTQ+ individuals, primary caregivers and people who are physically disabled and/or neurodivergent.

“Equity and health go hand-in-hand. This rating is all about making equitable opportunity actionable, designing healthier places that are accessible to everyone, and delivering on the promise of a global culture of health and belonging,” said Kimberly Lewis, Executive Vice President of Equity, Engagement and Events, IWBI. “Because, as we know, equity is the very foundation to healthier, stronger and thriving organizations.”

Multiple studies show that employees in diverse and inclusive workplaces are more likely to innovate, enjoy their jobs, work harder, and ultimately stay with their employers for longer. Diverse organizations have also been found to be 1.32 times more productive and 21 percent more profitable than their peers.

The WELL Equity Rating offers organizations a tangible path forward to help them follow through on their DEI commitments and transform how workplaces are designed, managed and operated to create environments where everyone can thrive and show up as their authentic selves.

Coinciding with the launch, in a show of leadership, over 30 organizations representing a variety of different sectors have already enrolled to pursue the WELL Equity Rating across over 1,000 locations.

"ESF's commitment to the WELL Equity Rating was a resounding ‘yes’ as we work to improve and provide equitable access to the health and well-being of our campus. The rating will guide us in acknowledging populations that have been traditionally underrepresented and promoting inclusivity while celebrating the diversity that makes this campus so vibrant and successful," said SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry President Joanie Mahoney. "We appreciate IWBI's work and guidance in creating this rating and continuing to lead the way in putting people first."

The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a public benefit corporation and the world’s leading organization focused on deploying people-first places to advance a global culture of health. IWBI mobilizes its community through the administration of the WELL Building Standard (WELL) and WELL ratings, management of the WELL AP credential, the pursuit of applicable research, the development of educational resources, and advocacy for policies that promote health and well-being everywhere.

For more, go to wellcertified.com.