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Health Promoting Workplaces

Workplace Health Promotion is a unique opportunity to engage employees in issues that impact on their health and well being.  The World Heath Organisation states that a health promoting workplace is one where employers value the health and wellbeing of their employees.  The EACH Workplace Health Promotion Team supports businesses in the Eastern region of Victoria (City of Maroondah Municipality) in employee health and wellbeing.

 

EACH promotes workplace health programs based on evidence based practice. Programs consist of a range of individual employee (e.g. smoking cessation programs) and organisation (e.g. environmental, policies and cultural) based strategies to address issues such as physical activity, nutrition, alcohol consumption, smoking and mental health. How much time a workplace dedicates to workplace health promotion is variable. 

 

WORKPLACE HEALTH BENEFITS

The evidence is clear on the outcomes of supporting health and well being programs in a workplace.  Through workplace health promotion a business can benefit through:

 

ü   increased individual productivity

ü   reduced worker turnover

ü   staff who feel valued

ü   increased staff morale, satisfaction and motivation

ü   increased ability to attract new employees

ü   reduced sick leave

ü   fewer worker compensation claims

 

The workplace has a powerful effect on the health of workers. Encouraging positive health and well being of employees can also assist businesses to stand out as an employer of choice.

DID YOU KNOW:

·      For every $1 invested in health and well being, a return of $5.82 can be recouped in reduced absenteeism costs (American Institute for Preventative Medicine, 2008).

·      Workplace health programs can reduce sick leave by up to 30% and increase productivity by up to 52% (Dishman, Oldenburg & Shepard, 2008).

·      Workplace health programs can achieve an average of 32% reduction in workers compensation and disability claim costs (Chapman, 2003).

·      The healthiest Australian employees are x3 more productive than unhealthy employees (Medibank Private, 2005).

 

Workplace health and well being initiatives range from simple, low cost programs to comprehensive programs. 

 

EACH COMMUNITY HEALTH OFFERS SUPPORT AND ADVICE IN:

·      Work health checks: providing ongoing support and follow up for staff health checks.

·      Promoting the prevention of chronic disease: healthy lifestyles - nutrition / physical activity / QUIT smoking program / alcohol.

·      Supporting staff attendance: identify why staff might have difficulty attending work.

·      Mentally healthy workplaces: provide information and raise awareness around mental health and well being issues, including stress management; relaxation; better sleep; family and work.

·      Avoiding accidents in the workplace: encourage workers to report and act on accidents, incidents and ‘near misses’ to reduce injuries and lost time.

·      Health and the environment: encourage workplaces to raise awareness of their impact on the wider environment.

·      SunSmart

·      Men’s health / Women’s health

·      Gambling in our community

·      Immunisation

·      Applying for grants to support workplace programs

 

KEY STEPS INVOLVED IN WORKPLACE HEALTH PROMotION:

Building Organisational Commitment

Ø   Create a shared vision. Presentations to management and employees etc;

Ø   Promote the benefits and involve employees;

Ø   Develop or review workplace health and wellbeing policy;

Ø   A signed partnership agreement

 

Form a Health Promoting Workplace Committee

Ø   Develop goals

Ø   Outcomes activities

Ø   Timelines

Ø   Resource requirements

Ø   Roles and responsibilities

Ø   Monitoring and evaluation

 

Select a Priority Issue

Ø   Employee needs analysis (workplace health and wellbeing audit)

Ø   Discussion with employees and Management about the health issues to be addressed

 

Develop your health and wellbeing program action plan

Ø   Implement the plan across the workplace

 

Evaluation

Ø   Continual evaluation in the form of process, impact and outcome evaluation and dissemination of results.

 

(Source: “Get Moving at Work: A resource kit for workplace health and wellbeing program” getmoving.tas.gov.au (Premiere’s Physical Activity Council Tasmania)

 

By identifying risk factors and adopting a healthy lifestyle,

we all have the capacity to improve our health!

 

Fees are variable and structured accordingly.

 

 

*** FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT ***

 

EACH Workplace Health Promotion Co-ordinator

Desiree Terrill

Email   - dterrill@each.com.au  Telephone - (03) 9871 1800

 

 

 

 

 

 

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