HBR Guide to Better Mental Health at Work (HBR Guide Series)

CHAPTER 20

Forming an Employee Resource Group for Mental Health

by Jen Porter, Bernie Wong, and Kelly Greenwood

Every month, members of the employee resource group (ERG) at Best Buy’s corporate headquarters meet to share their stories. The group’s discussions have ranged from the Black community and mental health, to veterans, to the relationship between mental health and sexual assault, to how members manage OCD, to how mental health impacts women. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the group met virtually to discuss their mental health during the crisis. Coming out of a meeting, one employee said, “This is the most impactful thing I have done here.”

ERGs are created to build community among people with shared identities or experiences at work. ...