embedding health and wellbeing activities into...
TRANSCRIPT
Embedding Health and Wellbeing
Activities into Organisational Culture
Steven Carter
Advanced Health Improvement Practitioner
Hartlepool Borough Council
Background
• Based in Public Health dept at Hartlepool Borough Council (HBC). Background in Medical Science (BSc) and Health Development (MSc).
• Leading on workplace health, obesity and physical activity portfolios.
• Coordinate the North East Better Health at Work Award for businesses in Hartlepool.
Overview
• The Business Case
• Some key practical approaches
• Good practice from Hartlepool Council
• National / regional support available
• Conclusions and Q&A
The Business Case
• During 2014/15, 1.2 million working people had a work-
related illness. Half a million of these were new illnesses.
• Work-related illness and workplace injury led to the loss
of an estimated 27.3 million working days.
• Injuries and new cases of ill health resulting largely from
current working conditions cost society an estimated
£14.3 billion.
Stats from Health and Safety Statistics Annual Report for Great Britain (HSE, 2015)1
The Business Case (cont.)
• A healthy and engaged workforce consistently outperforms an
unhealthy and disengaged workforce over both the short and long
term (World Economic Forum, 20102).
• Almost two-fifths (37%) of employees have considered quitting their
job in the last year because of stress at work (Metlife Employee
Benefits research, 20153).
• Work is an important social determinant of health (Marmot, 20124),
‘good work’ is good for our health (Parker & Bevan, 20115), and
sickness absence, presenteeism and unemployment can have
negative consequences for the employee, the employer and for
wider society (Black & Frost, 20116).
What does a healthy workplace look like?
ACAS suggests that there are six indicators of a healthy workplace7:
1. Line managers are confident and trained in people skills.
2. Employees feel valued and involved in the organisation.
3. Managers use appropriate health services (e.g. occupational health
where practicable) to tackle absence and help people to get back to
work.
4. Managers promote an attendance culture by conducting return-to-
work discussions.
5. Jobs are flexible and well-designed.
6. Managers know how to manage common health problems such as
mental health and musculoskeletal disorders.
What does a healthy workplace look like?
ACAS suggests that there are six indicators of a healthy workplace7:
1. Line managers are confident and trained in people skills.
2. Employees feel valued and involved in the organisation.
3. Managers use appropriate health services (e.g. occupational health
where practicable) to tackle absence and help people to get back to
work.
4. Managers promote an attendance culture by conducting return-to-
work discussions.
5. Jobs are flexible and well-designed.
6. Managers know how to manage common health problems such as
mental health and musculoskeletal disorders.
Also requires
GOOD MANAGERS!
Business in the Community Best Practice Model
1. Build a business case
• Do not limit to simple metric improvements such as absenteeism or staff turnover.
• It should be a driver of broader organisational objectives and strategies.
• Try to link employee wellness (physical and mental health) with engagement (commitment, satisfaction, advocacy) in order to improve acceptance, ownership and participation.
HBC Employee Wellbeing Strategy
A three-year strategy was developed aligned to the criteria of the North East Better Health at Work Award and four key themes:
1. Establish and promote a positive health, safety and wellbeing culture amongst Hartlepool Borough Council employees and partners.
2. Develop, implement and monitor working procedures that contribute to the provision of healthy and safe working environments for Hartlepool Borough Council employees and partners.
3. Proactively support the physical and mental wellbeing of Hartlepool Borough Council employees and partners.
4. Act as an exemplar and role model to support workplace health in the wider community and to other local businesses including sharing good practice.
2. Secure management buy-in
• Identify the key stakeholders who have control and influence.
• Ensure communication is clear, simple and early enough in the process to engage leaders and embed activities into day-to-day business.
• Articulate and feed back in a way which engages leaders, is aligned to the company vision and culture, and is easy to interpret as profit / loss.
HBC Manager’s Health Briefings
• Try to include management at all stages
• Briefings were developed to educate line managers about how to better support their staff around:
– Drug & alcohol issues
– Stress and mental health
– Musculo-skeletal disorders
– Long-term conditions (2016)
3. Create an A.C.T.I.O.N. plan
• Assess where you are on wellness and engagement.
• Commit time and resources to take positive action.
• Tell others about why, what and how change must happen.
• Integrate with business strategy and objectives.
• Organise programmes with measurable targets.
• Nurture your key partners to achieve change.
Employee engagement is key
• Consult with staff at key times
• Communicate progress and good news stories regularly
• Appoint and train health ‘advocates’ or ‘champions’ to raise awareness, signpost and engage teams and hard to reach staff
4. Monitor and Report • Identifying key performance indicators (KPIs) at the
outset of your programme or initiative is crucial, yet often overlooked.
• Use a combination of measurements aligned to business priorities and objectives: – Participation / uptake
– Impact / improvements
– Outcomes / changes
• Use measures which are most appropriate to the values and culture of your organisation and its leaders.
MORE QUANTITATIVE
MORE QUALITATIVE
Outcomes in Hartlepool BC
• Awarded Public Health Minister’s Award for workplace health in October 2014.
• Achieved ‘Continuing Excellence’ stage of North East Better Health at Work Award and awarded ‘ambassador’ status in 2016.
• Year-on-year decline in sickness absence.
What support is available?
• Local Authority Public Health Teams
• Public Health England (Campaign Resource Centre) https://campaignresources.phe.gov.uk/resources/
• Local NHS Trusts
• Charities
• Workplace Health Award Schemes
Workplace Health Award Schemes
http://www.healthyworking
lives.com/award
Workplace Health Award Schemes
Nottinghamshire
Wellbeing at Work:
http://www.everyoneheal
th.co.uk/nottinghamshire
-county-
council/wellbeing-at-
work/
Business in the
Community East of
England:
http://www.bitc.org.uk/ea
st/what-we-
offer/employee-wellbeing
Workplace Health Award Schemes
Healthy Ambitions
Suffolk
http://www.plcsmail.
co.uk/
Workplace Health Award Schemes Walsall Healthy
Workplace
Programme:
http://cms.walsall.
gov.uk/index/healt
hwork.htm
Staffordshire:
http://www.howsy
ourbusinessfeelin
g.org.uk/web/healt
h_awards
Workplace Health Award Schemes
Healthy Working
Wales
www.healthyworking
wales.wales.nhs.uk
Workplace Health Award Schemes
Cornwall Be Healthy at
Work scheme
http://www.behealthyat
work.org/
Workplace Health Award Schemes
London Healthy
Workplace Charter
www.london.gov.uk/w
hat-we-
do/health/priority-
areas/healthy-
workplace-charter
Workplace Health Award Schemes Nationally:
www.wellbeingcharter.
org.uk
Successfully piloted in
the North West
(Liverpool & Cumbria)
In summary:
• Link your business case to your own company’s objectives and values
• Develop an A.C.T.I.O.N. plan
• Give staff a sense of ownership and control
• Utilise local and national support effectively and engage with an award scheme
Acknowledgements
• World Health Organisation, 2010: Healthy
workplaces: a WHO global model for action.
• Embedding Employee Wellness and
Engagement into Corporate Culture.
Business in the Community and Right
Management, 2011 (BITC Best Practice
Model)
References 1. Health and Safety Statistics Annual Report for Great Britain, Health
and Safety Executive, 2015
2. The New Discipline of Workforce Wellness. Enhancing Corporate Performance by Tacking Chronic Disease. World Economic Forum, in partnership with The Boston Consulting Group, Davos 2010
3. United Kingdom Employee Benefits Trends Study, Metlife 2015
4. The Marmot review: Fair society, healthy lives. The Strategic Review of Health Inequalities in England Post-2010.
5. Parker, L and Bevan, S. (2011). Good work and our times. London: The Work Foundation.
6. Black, C. & Frost, D. (2011). Health at work – an independent review of sickness absence. London: The Stationary Office.
7. ACAS: Health, Work and Wellbeing Booklet (2012)
