By 2024, we aim to reduce absence rates to 2% by strengthening the working environment through enhanced workplace health management and support for physical and mental wellbeing.
Health strategy team: Form a specialist team to oversee health programme planning, delivery and assessment, coordinating all health initiatives.
Training and awareness-raising: Deliver annual training for managers and staff on health promotion, emphasising prevention and early support.
Absence analysis: Introduce a systematic absence monitoring system to identify absence trends early and recognise potential health risks. This system helps implement targeted health promotion measures.
Ergonomic workstations: Provide ergonomic furniture and equipment for both office and remote working. For staff in physically demanding roles, such as nursing, provide back-care equipment and offer specialist training on proper lifting techniques to prevent back problems.
Flexibility and work-life balance: Implement hybrid working arrangements and flexible hours to support work-life balance. This helps reduce stress and increase wellbeing.
Health education: Host regular briefings on workplace health, covering ergonomics and broader health topics.
Resilience training: Deliver regular workshops on stress management, mindfulness and resilience building. These programmes support staff in strengthening their mental health and managing stressful situations more effectively.
Open culture of dialogue: Promote a culture of open dialogue within the organisation where mental health is destigmatised and staff feel safe discussing their mental health.
Psychological support services: Provide staff access to psychological coaching and counselling services to support them through challenging circumstances.
Health checks and preventive screening: Offer staff annual, voluntary health checks to identify potential health problems early. Pay particular attention to specific risk factors such as back problems from intensive physical work or sleep disorders from shift work.
Fitness and exercise programmes: Implement free programmes such as yoga classes or back care training and provide fitness facilities for staff physical wellbeing and prevention of typical musculoskeletal conditions.
Mental health workshops: Organise preventive workshops, individual sessions and training including mental health first aid courses for early identification of mental health issues, stress management programmes, resilience building and mindfulness.
Comprehensive workplace health management not only improves staff health and wellbeing but also increases productivity and motivation. It reduces sickness-related absences, lowers organisational healthcare costs and strengthens employer reputation, making it more attractive to potential recruits.
