McCalister and Associates

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McCalister and Associates, LLC provides global health and well-being professional and project based consulting. We act as extension of your team; providing services focused on improving program effectiveness, and elevating individual, team, and company performance.

From the Founder:

McCalister and Associates was founded as an opportunity to apply my 25+ years of professional expertise in healthcare consulting, workforce management, human resources, and team leadership, to enable companies to achieve their health goals and business objectives. Making a difference in others lives is my passion. Collaboration and working across organizations is what I do best. I enjoy partnering with colleagues, employers, non-profits and suppliers, to improve population health, and create workplace cultures supporting employee wellbeing and purpose. Well-designed health and well-being initiatives help to drive employee engagement; enabling work teams, and communities to thrive. I look forward to putting my expertise, industry knowledge, marketing, sales, program management and analytic skills to work for you, to enable success for you and your organization.

-Tre’ McCalister, Ed.D., MA.

Overwhelmed worker covering their face at a desk surrounded by paperwork

Building a Thriving Workforce: The Role of Work Environment

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What if workplace culture enabled employees to be their best and do their best everyday?

Employers have spent years building wellness programs: screenings, coaching, mental health resources, incentives, challenges, apps, and campaigns.

Many of those efforts are valuable. But the research—and my own experience—points to something bigger: if we want healthier people at work, we have to look at the work environment itself.

I saw this firsthand while working with a high-tech employer to better understand what was driving employee absence and lost productivity.

We started by looking at the available data, but I also spent time interviewing leaders and talking with employees about their day-to-day experience. What emerged in our assessment surprised some of us. Lost productivity was more strongly associated with employees’ perceptions of supervisor support than with illness or injury.

That finding changed the conversation. Instead of asking only, “What wellness programs should we offer?” we began asking, “What is happening in the everyday work experience that may be affecting people’s health and ability to perform?”

Working with the leadership team, we developed a strategy that included training for new supervisors. We also created opportunities for employees to connect with and provide input and feedback to leaders. The goal was not simply to add another program, but to create a more supportive work environment.

That experience has stayed with me because it reinforced something that is easy to overlook: the manager, the team, and the culture employees experience every day can be part of the health intervention.

Current research increasingly supports that idea.

One recent JAMA Network Open study across healthcare settings, more than 14,000 U.S. physicians found that those with a stronger sense of belonging were less likely to report burnout, less likely to plan to cut back their hours, and less likely to intend to leave their organization.

Another large review examined 88 workplace health reviews and 339 meta-analyzed outcomes. The pattern was hard to miss: interventions focused on mental health, stress, psychosocial factors, and the work environment often showed meaningful impact.

The takeaway: employee health and well-being matter, but culture is not a side issue. It is part of the people strategy.

So before launching the next benefits or well-being program, app, or challenge, leaders might want to ask a few harder questions:

  • Do people feel like they belong?
  • Do teammates have each other’s backs?
  • Do managers create psychological safety?
  • Is the workload manageable?
  • Does the culture actually support mental health, or just talk about it?

Sometimes the most important well-being intervention isn’t something we add to the workday.

It’s changing the workday itself.

This does not mean we stop investing in physical activity, nutrition, prevention, mental and financial health or chronic condition support. Those worksite resources still matter.

But those programs work best when they sit on top of a healthy foundation. They are much less effective when they are expected to make up for burnout, poor leadership, low trust, or unmanageable work.

Belonging, supportive leadership, psychological safety, manageable work, and healthy team norms are not just “well-being culture” topics. They are workforce health & productivity interventions.

So maybe the better question is not:

“What benefit program, or wellbeing solution should we offer next?”

It is:

“What about our work environment is helping people thrive, and what is getting in the way?”

If your organization asked employees one honest question about the work environment, what should it be?

References

Carlasare LE, et al. Sense of Belonging, Burnout, and Work Intentions Among US Physicians. JAMA Network Open. 2026;9(3):e264171. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2847121

Virtanen M, et al. Effectiveness of Workplace Interventions for Health Promotion: A Quality-Informed Horizontal Analysis of 88 Reviews and 339 Meta-Analyzed Effect Estimates. The Lancet Regional Health – Europe. 2025.

These are the questions I help organizations explore—identifying the work environment factors, strengths, resources, and opportunities that support healthier, more sustainable workplaces and healthier more productive employees.

The Power of Meaningful Connections

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“ We live in the most technologically connected age in the history of civilization, yet rates of loneliness have doubled since the 1980’s….”

–Vivek Murphy
Admiral, USPHS, 19th Surgeon General Of The United States,
(2014-2017)

Technology Enabled, but Socially Isolated

We are connected 24/7 through our devices (phones, laptops, wearables) and social media accounts (such as FaceBook, Linked In, Twitter, and Instagram). Despite our connection through technology, many of us still feel isolated and alone. A recent Cigna study revealed rates of loneliness are higher than ever before. The same study found that three in five Americans (61%) report feeling lonely in 2019, compared to more than half (54%) in 2018.

Social Connection and Well-being

Social connections are important for our overall well-being. Feeling a sense of belonging and being connected to family and friends is important for our health, happiness and sense of purpose. Social connection refers to the ways in which one can connect to others physically, behaviorally, cognitively, and emotionally. Social connection is made up of three major components:

  • Structural support or the physical or behavioral presence of relationships in our lives (eg, size of social network, marital status, living alone, frequency of social contact);
  • Functional support or the resources or functions our relationships provide or that we cognitively perceived to be available (eg, perceived or received support, loneliness); and
  • Quality support or the positive and negative emotional nature of our relationships (eg, relationship satisfaction, conflict, strain). The structure, functions, and quality of social relationships each predict the health risk or the health protective effect associated with social connections.

Social Connection and Health

Health related research links social connections with physical, and emotional health as well as cognitive functioning. People who have stronger social networks are happier, less anxious, and less likely to be depressed. However, individuals who report fewer, or poor-quality social connections are higher risk for illness. Loneliness and isolation are health risks. Social isolation is “the absence or infrequent contact with others” (or structural supports deficit), while loneliness refers to “the subjective perception of being alone” (or functional support deficit). Recent studies found that social isolation as a risk factor was similar to smoking 15 cigarettes a day; and a greater risk than sedentary lifestyle, alcoholism or obesity.

Social Connection at Work

We spend a significant amount of our waking time at work, which is why social well-being is so important at the workplace. Positive social interactions at work can play an essential role in our wellbeing, and engagement. Based on a 2017 Gallup survey, close work friendships boost employee satisfaction by 50%, while people with a ‘best friend’ at work are seven times more likely to be fully engaged in their work. Employees with stronger social connections at work report greater job and life satisfaction.(Cigna, 2020). At an organizational level, companies with higher employee engagement report lower business costs, improved performance outcomes, lower staff turnover and absenteeism, and fewer safety incidents (Gallup, 2015).

Creating Meaningful Connections at Work

Innovative organizations are looking for ways to boost their focus on social well-being in the workplace. Here are some ideas you can use to create a culture and work environment which supports meaningful connections at the workplace:

  1. Include remote and hard to reach employees in team events and meetings. Ideally, employees should be invited to provide input in how they’d like to participate, to ensure all participants feel they have the opportunity to share their ideas.
  2. Create opportunities for face to face/in-person interaction. If face-to face is impossible, set regular virtual one-on-ones. Personal interaction, eye contact, and being able to interpret voice tone, and body language is important to understanding employee engagement.
  3. Set aside time some time for coworkers and teams to connect. Include networking time and some non-structured time in planning sessions and in meetings so employees have the opportunity to share interests and experiences. Allow for participants to discover commonalities and to relate to each other. Well-being programs are a great place to initiate these “opportunities to connect”.
  4. Supervisors and managers should make attempts to minimize negative interactions between employees. Encouraging mediation and resolution of disputes or differences early on in team member relationships builds a culture of open communication and trust.
  5. Leaders should model and promote an environment of inclusivity and positivity. If leaders set the tone for the culture, employees are more likely to follow.

References:

Cigna Loneliness Study, 2020: https://www.cigna.com/static/www-cigna-com/docs/about-us/newsroom/studies-and-reports/combatting-loneliness/cigna-2020-loneliness-factsheet.pdf
Uchino, BN . Social support and health: a review of physiological processes potentially underlying links to disease outcomes. J Behav Med. 2006;29(4):377–387.
Holt-Lunstad, J, Smith, TB, Layton, JB. Social relationships and mortality risk: a meta-analytic review. 2010;7(7).
Holt-Lunstad, J, Smith, TB, Baker, M, Harris, T, Stephenson, D. Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for mortality: a meta-analytic review. Perspect Psychol Sci J Assoc Psychol Sci. 2015;10(2):227–237.
House, J, Landis, K, Umberson, D. Social relationships and health. Science. 1988;241(4865):540–545.
Béland, F, Zunzunegui, M-V, Alvarado, B, Otero, A, Del Ser, T. Trajectories of cognitive decline and social relations. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2005;60(6):P320–P330.
Robles, TF . Stress, social support, and delayed skin barrier recovery. Psychosom Med. 2007;69(8):807–815.
Cohen, S., et. al, (2020) Psychosocial Vulnerabilities to Upper Respiratory Infectious Illness: Implications for Susceptibility to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Lindsay EK, Young S, Brown KW. Mindfulness training reduces loneliness and increases social contact in a randomized controlled trial. Proc Natl Acad Sci. 2019;116:3488–3493.
Fredrickson BL, Cohn MA, Coffey KA. Open hearts build lives: positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2008;95:1045–1062.
Steptoe, A., Shankar, A., Demakakos, P., & Wardle, J. (2013). Social isolation, loneliness, and all-cause mortality in older men and women. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110, 5797–5801.
Thomas K M Cudjoe, MD, MPH, David L Roth, PhD, Sarah L Szanton, PhD, Jennifer L Wolff, PhD, Cynthia M Boyd, MD, MPH, Roland J Thorpe, Jr, PhD, The Epidemiology of Social Isolation: National Health and Aging Trends Study, The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, Volume 75, Issue 1, January 2020, Pages 107–113.
“New Cigna Study Reveals Loneliness at Epidemic Levels in America,” PRNewsWire, May 1, 2018, https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-cigna-study-reveals-loneliness-at-epidemic-levels-in-america-300639747.html
Gallup, State of the American Workplace, 2017, p. 118, https://www.gallup.com/workplace/238085/state-american-workplace-report-2017.aspx
Thoits PA. Mechanisms linking social ties and support to physical and mental health. Journal of Health and Social Behavior. 2011;52:145.
Mayoclinic, August 24, 2019: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/friendships/art-20044860
Holt-Lunstad, J. (2018). Fostering Social Connection in the Workplace. American Journal of Health Promotion, 32(5), 1307–1312.
Chen L, Hannon PA, Laing SS, et al. Perceived workplace health support is associated with employee productivity. Am J Health Promot. 2015;29(3):139-146.
https://depts.washington.edu/hprc/evidence-based-programs/connect-to-wellness

Integrating Purpose into Well-being Initiatives

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Are your health and wellbeing initiatives aligned with purpose or “what matters most” to participants? If not, then it might be time for a design refresh…

Why is purpose important?

Employer well-being programs can be perceived by employees as “cost containment initiatives”. If the goal of the programs is solely focused on reducing healthcare costs, these programs will likely “miss the mark” on with what matters most to participants. However, if wellbeing initiatives empower participants to identify and align their work and life purpose, they can improve participant health, and result in improved worker engagement. According to recent Metlife study employees with a strong sense of purpose are more productive, more engaged, and have higher job satisfaction.

How to integrate “what matters most” into health and wellbeing programming

The concept of “putting meaning back into work” and aligning programs with “what matters most” to employees is not new. Actually this idea has been around for many years in HRD and Organizational Development, but only recently, has this concept been aligned with workplace well-being programs. So how do employers align their wellbeing initiatives with “what matters most” to employees? There are many ways to do this, but a few best practice ideas to consider are listed below:

  1. Incorporate tools and resources encouraging participants to identify and focus in on their purpose, and “what matters most” as part of their professional development, and company wellbeing initiative.
  2. Partner with the HR, Career Development or Training organization to sync up messaging and branding around personal/professional development with health and wellbeing programming. Look for opportunities to ensure people leaders and supervisors are trained to have dialogue with their employees about how their performance goals align with company goals. These conversations can help employees to “connect the dots” to understand how daily progress on individual goals and helps the organization achieve its overarching goals.
  3. Align health and wellbeing program goals with the objectives of the organization. This will help integrate the wellbeing programs into the culture of purpose-centered organizations, and it helps employees see how the wellbeing initiatives can enable them to make progress toward their own professional and personal goals.
  4. Collaborate with your internal Corporate Sustainability, and Community Giving teams to integrate wellbeing programs (such as challenges) with employee giving or sustainability initiatives. Aligning participation in programs with important corporate sustainability goals or community giving campaigns, fosters intrinsic motivation by encouraging participating in programs for more than just personal gains. Participation in programs aligned with a “greater good” encourages individual and team effort, and can align wellbeing initiatives with charitable giving campaigns, or company-wide environmental and sustainability initiatives.

It is not necessary that you hire an outside supplier to integrate purpose into your culture and wellbeing programs- you can do this yourself. However, if you would like more information on purpose offerings through Kumanu and how this supplier helps employers provide resources to help employees “thrive through purpose” access this link.

If you are interested in learning more about how to design and integrate purpose into your organizations health and wellbeing initiatives, in the US or globally please contact us.