8
A Quick Guide to Workplace Health August 2011

A Quick Guide to Workplace Health - Microsoftbtckstorage.blob.core.windows.net/site7587/Health Docs/Workplace... · conditions in the workplace. Workplace Health ... workplace health

  • Upload
    dangtu

  • View
    220

  • Download
    3

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

A Quick Guide toWorkplace Health

August 2011

Workplace Health at a Glance There is growing evidence that health, work and wellbeing are closely connected.1 The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that one of the benefits of a healthy workplace are that

“healthy workers are productive and raise healthy families; thus healthy workers are a key strategy for overcoming poverty.”

WHO further recognises that

“a health-promoting workplace recognises that a healthy workforce is essential and integrates policies, systems and practices conducive to health at all levels of the organisation. Rather than a series of projects, workforce health promotion is an ongoing process for improving work and health.” 2

Dame Carol Black’s Review: Working for a Healthier Tomorrow3 highlighted that working-age ill health was costing England £100 billion a year. Key issues identified include early intervention and prevention, and proactive responses such as health-promoting workplaces, better mental health and employment outcomes, building young people’s resilience and lengthening healthy working lives.

The Marmot Review: Fair Society, Healthy Lives identifies employment as one of the six key policy objectives; “create fair employment and good work for all” and this provides further impetus to tackling workplace health in a much broader context.

Workplace facts

• 2.1 million people believe they are suffering from ill health caused or made worse by work.4

1 www.healthworkandwellbeing.co.uk/aboutus 2 World Health Organisation www.who.int/occupational health/topics/workplace/en/index1.html 3 Working for a Healthier Tomorrow, Dame Carol Black (2008) 4 Health & Safety Executive Statistics 2009/2010

Workplace Health

Page 1

• 28.5 million working days were lost overall (1.2 days per worker), 23.4 million due to work related ill health and 5.1 million due to workplace injury.5

• Employee absence cost the UK nearly £17bn in 2009.

The good news is that most common health problems can be accommodated by employers. Common health problems account for two-thirds of longer term sickness absence, incapacity for work and ill-health retirement. Addressing health, work and wellbeing can therefore make a real and substantial difference to the health of individuals and the cost to businesses and the economy.

The NHS White Paper – Healthy Lives, Healthy People: Our Strategy for Public Health England, acknowledges the new provisions in the Equality Act 2010 which came into force on 1 October 2010. It states that the Act prohibits employers from asking health or health-related questions before offering employment, except where it is an intrinsic function of the job. There is little evidence that pre-employment health screening identifies fitness for work.

This empowers occupational health professionals to divert resources away from pre-employment health screening to preventive initiativesfor all staff in the workplace. On health and wellbeing throughoutlife the White Paper states that Central Government, in conjunctionwith the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, is developing an accreditation process for the new occupational health service standards. All employers will be encouraged to contract only those services that are fully accredited, and to seek preventive interventions.

Page 2

5 Health & Safety Statistics 2009/2010

Getting Started

4

Employees are one of the most valuable assets to any business and creating a healthy workplace will bring benefits to any type of business. Any step in the right direction is a good one. A healthier, happier and safer workforce means better business and can benefit from:

• Lower absenteeism

• Higher productivity

• Motivated teams

• Improved employee relations

• Lower staff turnover

• Reduced recruitment and selection costs

We are exploring a range of models which will help support small and medium-sized enterprises in promoting the health of their workforce, drawing on the expertise of larger companies, the NHS and the broader community, and promoting the better management of chronic conditions in the workplace.

Workplace Health

Page 3

The Solution This is about preparing your business and promoting a healthier workplace culture at the same time. Following some basic healthy settings steps means that employers are more likely to be successful in making change happen.

• Communicating with employees and volunteers about the workplace commitment to improving the working environment.

• Appoint a health champion or team of health champions depending on the size of your business – use the assets of your workplace, your employees carry out a simple lifestyle survey. This will promote and raise awareness by engaging your workforce and their feedback will influence your workplace health programme.

• Integrating health into the routine life and core business of the setting.

• A holistic workplace health programme should include equality and diversity, induction and communication, workplace health and safety, tobacco control, mental health, healthy eating, alcohol and substance misuse and physical activity.

Page 4

Workplace Health

Case StudyNHS Central Lancashire Health Works Awards

A healthy business needs a healthy workforce – NHS Central Lancashire’s Health Works Awards Scheme is a FREE local workplace health scheme which encourages making positive changes in the workplace, tackling issues such as smoking, healthy eating, positive mental health and physical exercise.It provides a simple framework for businesses to make positive changes to address health and wellbeing through workplace policies, equality and diversity, sickness absence, occupational health and safety. Health Works Awards advocates using the assets of the business, for example its employees and volunteers, to champion health and create a sustainable approach to improving long term health benefits.

Workplace Wellbeing Charter This charter is a statement of intent showing the commitment of a workplace to the health of its employees. Businesses completea simple online assessment to understand their current approach to health and wellbeing and to identify and work on any gaps in their provision. (www.wellbeingcharter.org.uk)

Page 5

Useful Links

Health and Safety Executive - Health and Work Programme www.hse.gov.uk/hwwb/

Working for a Healthier Tomorrow www.hse.gov.uk/hwwb/

Department of Work and Pensions - Health Work Wellbeing Resources Pagewww.dwp.gov.uk/health-work-and-well-being/resources/other-websites-tools/

European Network for Workplace Health Promotionwww.enwhp.org/

Health Works Award Schemewww.healthworksonline.co.uk

Page 6

Talk to us

Tom GoodwinE: [email protected]: 0161 241 7110

Andrea SmithPublic Health Associate Workplace HealthNHS Central LancashireE: [email protected]: 01772 678 064

Talk to each other

Register and start using the regions new virtual communication

platform North West Connex -

www.nwemployers.org.uk/northwestconnex/

Guides in this series:

A Councillors’ Role in Public Health

Health Terminology

Workplace Health

Health Reform

Local Goverment Terminology

Health Inequalities

Health Literacy

For general enquiries about this Quick Guide or for more information on North West Employers :

For more information on the work going on in Central Lancashire :