A skilled and engaged workforce helps state and local public health agencies deliver effective and responsive public health services. Competitive pay, comprehensive benefits, and maximum flexibility each play a role in attracting new candidates and keeping current employees engaged.
Data from the 2024 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS) show the importance of flexibility, pay, and benefits to public health employees:
- Forty-four percent of employees aren’t satisfied with their public health compensation; in fact, of those employees who intend to leave public health in 2024, 41 percent reported their decision was due to pay
- Nearly half work fully in person, but only 21 percent of employees want to do so
- Eighty-two percent of employees are satisfied with the benefits their agency provides
Leaders at government public health agencies may have no control over the policies that govern the pay and benefits they can offer. Still, many can control how policies are implemented and can advocate for change with decision makers.
How can we improve flexibility, pay, and benefits for public health employees?
Insights to Action is a suite of resources designed to help state and local public health agencies act on PH WINS data. These resources include:
- Strategies for attracting and retaining public health workers
- Examples of flexible work schedules and job structures for public health staff
- New approaches to improving work-life balance and creating supportive workplace cultures that encourage employees to stay
One quarter of 2024 PH WINS respondents are age 35 and under, with 41 percent working in public health for five years or less. As the public health workforce evolves, it’s critical for leaders to learn and act on what matters most to employees. Here are some key actions to consider:
Offer flexibility within agency structure
Offering public health employees some control over where, when, and how they work can help them balance job, family, and personal demands. Nearly 9 in 10 employees who responded to the 2024 PH WINS said the ability to flex time is an important policy, and 77 percent said an ad-hoc remote work policy is important to them.
Part-time jobs, flex time, remote work, and compressed work weeks are all ways to add flexibility. Employee surveys can provide insight into which options are most appealing to employees, and which may work best within the current agency structure.
Strong policies and clear communication are the guardrails that help make flexibility work for both employees and management. Read a case study on how two health departments have created flexible work options.
Think outside the box on benefits
Some public health workers begin their careers with significant student debt. Tuition assistance programs, service scholarships, and student loan repayment programs can make a real financial difference to workers and serve as recruiting and retention tools. These programs can also help attract workers from diverse backgrounds and make the delivery of public health services more equitable. Read a case study on how Rhode Island’s Health Professional Loan Repayment Program supports the recruitment and retention of community-centered health care professionals.
Create a work-life balance benefit for public health employees
Not all benefits require a budget — with creativity and flexibility, public health agencies can offer solutions that help meet critical employee needs. Take childcare, for example. Through its Infant at Work program, the Arizona Department of Health Services provides a cost-neutral benefit that helps encourage family bonding — and employee retention — for employees who are caring for a new infant. Read a case study on Arizona’s Infant at Work program and learn about creating high-quality lactation facilities.
According to the 2024 PH WINS, more public health employees want to stay at their organizations than in previous years. Creative solutions around flexibility, pay, and benefits can help make that goal a reality.
The Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS), conducted by the de Beaumont Foundation and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), is the only individual-level survey focused on the workplace experience and needs of the state and local government public health workforce. Access 2024 PH WINS data and find practical tools and recommendations to help you act on these data.
