Rest Energy is premised on the belief that care is a shared responsibility between workers and the environments in which they work. We believe the care and well-being of workers must be made a priority with as much rigor as how we consider our external communities. Until we are intentional in how we exist for our workers, we will be unable to embody our stated missions.

We believe in the need for organizations to operate with a deep spirit of connection and care toward workers. We believe in the need to build an ethic of care and connection in our work that disrupts current norms. We see the future of museums as being care-centered, generative spaces for healing, that prioritize the well-being of the workers who comprise them.

Care and Well-Being Literacy

Many of our organizations are not equipped to identify the practices that work in opposition to care. With an industry rooted in unsustainable work behavior, awareness is needed to better recognize the organizational practices, patterns, and norms that keep us from prioritizing the care and well-being of workers. It is essential that we develop literacy in understanding the contributing factors that form our workplace cultures and impact worker experience and well-being.

Fostering Psychological Safety

A foundation of creating an inclusive work environment that prioritizes worker well-being is ensuring psychological safety. Fostering psychological safety means creating an environment where workers feel comfortable expressing themselves without fear of judgment or retaliation. This includes encouraging open and honest communication and feeling supported. A psychological safe environment leads to better mental health, greater creativity, and an overall more positive and productive organization.

Acknowledging Macro-trends: Burnout, Toxic Cultures, Evolving Workplace Norms

As of early 2023, globally burnout is still on the rise with 42% of the workforce reporting it. Over 60% of detrimental workplace consequences can be attributed to toxic behavior within organizations. As we continue to address evolving work environments and new norms in our ways of working, it is essential to center care and well-being.

Deliberate Shifts to Current Practices

We believe organizations can transform to be worker-centered and prioritize the care and well-being of their workers through deliberate shifts. This begins by resisting cultures of hyperactivity, “business as usual”, and embracing opportunities to learn and unlearn. Small changes in how we are with one another and in our work environments hold transformative power.

Rooted in Community

The strength of our community connections provides us with the ability to continue in our work. Through continuing to cultivate strong connections, we challenge the superficial expectations that prioritize networking through our institutions over our holistic being.