A Better Way of Doing Business: Promoting Health at Work
This report from RSPH shows how businesses can boost productivity by improving health in the workplace.
A Better Way of Doing Business: Promoting Health at Work
This report from RSPH shows how businesses can boost productivity by improving health in the workplace.
We spend more than one in ten hours in work across our lifetime.
This time can hugely impact our health – for both better and worse. With rising levels of poor health, it is more important than ever that work is harnessed to drive better health and wellbeing.
This report brings together the expertise of public health and the private sector to set out the steps which can be taken to create healthier work. By turning workplaces into drivers of good health, we can address our productivity crisis at the same time.
A Better Way of Doing Business: at a glance
Key findings:
- 10 million people don’t get health support at work
- 185 million working days are lost to ill health every year, costing the economy £100 billion
- 7% of the working-age population are out of work due to long-term sickness
- Rates of health support are lower in industries such as hospitality, leading to higher rates of sickness absence
Recommendations:
- Government should set a national Work and Health Standard, ensuring a minimum level of support for all workers
- HR professionals should be trained in health and wellbeing
- Sick pay should be available for all staff, from the first day of their illness
- Small businesses should be incentivised by the Government to invest in workplace health
Businesses want to be part of the solution to address the twin healthcare and productivity crises facing the UK.
Tina Woods, CEO & Founder, Business for Health
By putting in place support to keep employees healthy and in work, we can improve outcomes, reduce waiting lists, and grow the economy. But businesses cannot do this alone – they want to do more, and need support from the Government to do this.
As we consider the shape of the basic rights all employees should have, it is more important than ever that workplace health is prioritised, rather than treated as a burden on the economy – because we know that the opposite is true.
How can businesses create a healthy work environment?
Health Initiatives
Services like Employee Assistance Programmes and NHS health checks help employees to manage their health at work. While these aren’t a silver bullet, every employer should consider how they could help them improve the health of their workforce.
Monitoring health
Increased investment in workplace health is properly monitored to ensure that we are having the greatest impact possible. Businesses should report on the health of their workforce to track how workplace health initiatives are working.
As well as reporting on efficacy, such data would allow businesses to better predict the future health support needs of their employees, acting before any problems emerge.
Sick Pay
If staff can’t afford to take time off when they become ill, they will keep working until their health gets worse. As well as spreading infectious diseases, this means they end up taking even more time off.
By paying sick pay for all staff, and with payments starting on their first day off, employers can ensure that staff are able to take the time they need to address any health problems.
Training for staff
Employees consistently say that one of the biggest barriers they face is inconsistency with managers. A good manager can help someone remain in work, rather than forcing them to drop out of the labour market.
Rather than leaving this to a lottery, all employers should be supported to upskill their staff, delivering a supportive work environment for every employee.
Why does workplace health matter?
Health outcomes
The economy loses billions of pounds every year to poor health. For small businesses, these costs can be disastrous. Previous research has found that a subset of jobs – those which place high demands on workers, but provide limited autonomy – are where workers are most likely to have poor wellbeing.
Productivity
Supporting employees with their health and wellbeing can lead to increased resilience, better employee engagement, reduced sickness absence and higher performance and productivity.
Even relatively light-touch interventions around mental health can have a profound impact on workforce productivity. Lower levels of both absenteeism and presenteeism are crucial to driving higher productivity.
Improved Reputation
9 in 10 businesses agree that it is the responsibility of employers to encourage their employees to be physically and mentally healthy. Many employers are already showing what best practice in this area looks like – whether that is providing mental health and sleep support on site for shift workers, or encouraging those with desk jobs to remain active and prevent musculo-skeletal disorders.
