--- title: In an Era of Mistrust on Health Information, Employers Are Key description: Employers can’t afford to be passive about health information, writes Dr. Mandy Cohen and Dr. Vin Gupta. canonical: https://time.com/7288802/health-information-employers-essay/ author: TIME article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2025-05-27T16:14:52.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-03-30T13:31:38.430Z article:section: Ideas og:title: In an Era of Mistrust on Health Information, Employers Are Key og:description: Employers can’t afford to be passive about health information, writes Dr. Mandy Cohen and Dr. Vin Gupta. og:url: https://time.com/7288802/health-information-employers-essay/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8f37632d69b1029b/6998c6f2e2d64b824ec5f61b/ATF-Rally-2025.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: ATF-Rally-2025. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: In an Era of Mistrust on Health Information, Employers Are Key twitter:description: Employers can’t afford to be passive about health information, writes Dr. Mandy Cohen and Dr. Vin Gupta. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8f37632d69b1029b/6998c6f2e2d64b824ec5f61b/ATF-Rally-2025.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # In an Era of Mistrust on Health Information, Employers Are Key > Sponsored content. 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It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. by [Dr. Mandy Cohen](https://time.com/author/dr-mandy-cohen/) and [Dr. Vin Gupta](https://time.com/author/dr-vin-gupta/) Contributor May 27, 2025 4:14 PM UTC  Regina Bell of American Federation of Teachers (AFT) speaks at the rally at the U.S. Capitol on April 10, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Regina Bell of American Federation of Teachers (AFT) speaks at the rally at the U.S. Capitol on April 10, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Jemal Countess—Getty Images/ Fair Share America by [Dr. Mandy Cohen](https://time.com/author/dr-mandy-cohen/) and [Dr. Vin Gupta](https://time.com/author/dr-vin-gupta/) Contributor May 27, 2025 4:14 PM UTC In an era of growing mistrust, employers hold a unique position of influence. They remain among the most trusted institutions, particularly by their own employees. According to the [2024 Edelman Trust Barometer](https://www.edelman.com/trust/2024/trust-barometer/special-report-trust-at-work/my-employer-key-trust-puzzle), workers consider businesses to be _twice as competent_ as the U.S. government in providing credible information—outpacing nonprofits and the media as well. People want to make informed decisions based on reliable information, and they’re increasingly open to receiving that information from their employers. This trend is not new. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many employers stepped up to fill an information void. They provided accurate, timely health guidance on everything from indoor air quality to vaccine safety. For instance, Amazon—the nation’s second-largest employer—[invested heavily](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/community/amazon-personalizes-employee-covid-19-vaccine-education) in direct employee engagement to promote vaccination. These efforts went beyond emails or posters; they included one-on-one outreach, peer-to-peer advocacy, and mobile vaccination units. Today, even as health concerns evolve, Amazon continues this model with daily [wellness huddles](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/17/relentless-amazon-has-new-plan-to-cut-worker-injuries-by-50percent-.html&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1747421193891757&usg=AOvVaw3RKJRitKU%5FezjgII-AAIID) and injury-prevention discussions across its warehouses. As we move beyond the pandemic, the need for trusted health communication remains urgent. Employers are well-positioned to continue this work, not just because of their trustworthiness, but because they have a vested interest in healthier, more informed employees. Healthy workers are more productive, miss fewer days, and contribute to lower healthcare costs—an ongoing concern for many companies. Likewise, educated employees are more likely to understand and make efficient use of increasingly expensive employer-sponsored health benefits. One [survey](https://www.unitedhealthgroup.com/newsroom/2018/0522-employee-wellness-survey.html) conducted by UnitedHealthcare found that 56% of workers with access to effective employer health promotion programs reported fewer sick days, a finding that has [been replicated](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10808730/pdf/fpubh-11-1326334.pdf) in multiple geographies. Other evidence has shown that employers earn [$3.27 back](https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2009.0626) in direct medical costs more for every $1 spent on wellness programs, which [directly](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2867226/pdf/nrp-4-149.pdf) increase employee knowledge and engagement in nutrition and health-related topics. While the need for effective health communication remains, many traditional sources are vanishing. Investments in public health campaigns at the federal, state, and local levels have shrunk—or are disappearing altogether. This void, combined with the rise of online misinformation, means that if employers don’t speak up, employees may turn instead to social media algorithms, self-proclaimed wellness influencers, or podcasters. **Read More:** [_What the New ‘Make America Healthy Again’ Report Says About Children’s Health_](https://time.com/7288175/make-america-healthy-again-commission-report-childrens-health/) Employers can’t afford to be passive. They must actively identify the pressing health challenges their workforce faces—from mental health struggles and poor air quality due to wildfires, to new treatments such as GLP-1 weight-loss medications. With thoughtful, engaging strategies, they can ensure credible, science-based information reaches their workforce. It may feel like a daunting task in today’s polarized climate, but many employers—and unions—are already rising to the challenge. Kim Thibodeaux, head of the Northeast Business Group on Health, which represents the health interests of nearly 80 of the nation’s largest [employers](https://nebgh.org/about/members/), is prioritizing investing in scalable ways to provide trusted health information content to employer partners. We are partnering with Kim and her team to provide timely, accurate, digestible health information on a range of topics in an omnichannel format. In a similar vein, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) with over 2 million members nationwide, has begun offering free, [monthly national town halls](https://sharemylesson.com/webinars/vital-lessons-town-hall-measles-outbreak-you-need-know) to their membership and general public to discuss topics such as [perimenopause](https://sharemylesson.com/webinars/vital-lessons-town-hall-perimenopause-menopause), [ADHD](https://time.com/growing-up-with-adhd/), youth mental health, and [measles](https://sharemylesson.com/webinars/vital-lessons-town-hall-measles-outbreak-you-need-know) with topical national experts like the recent past American Academy of Pediatrics President Dr. Ben Hoffman. Social media is leveraged to the fullest extent, with 30-40 second, [high-impact sound bites](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeD5nbXK2gw) from town halls or Q&As shared widely across Instagram, TikTok, and other social media platforms to improve reach. As public trust erodes and traditional health communication channels falter, the workplace remains a widely trusted space. Employers and unions who embrace this responsibility can become powerful agents of public health—helping their people make informed decisions, combat misinformation, and feel seen and supported in the process. By investing in credible, creative, and consistent health messaging, employers have the power to not only improve health outcomes but also rebuild faith in science and institutions—and in each other. 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