Healthy Workplace

Award Scheme

acrossMilton KeynesCentral Bedfordshire Bedford Borough

Reasons given for sickness absence in 2016: (ONS, 2016)

Introduction

People in the UK on average work 36 hours per week which means 21.4% of our week is

spent at work. During this time our working environment is influencing our mood and emotions which can in turn impact on our home lives and our

interactions with family and friends.(Public Health England (2017) Workplace Wellbeing Charter: Self-Assessment Standards)

Stress, Depression,

Anxiety 7.7%

Musculoskeletal Problems

18.6%

Minor Illnesses(coughs &

colds)33.1%

24% of UK employees have a long standing illness or disability (ONS, 2013)

1 in 7 people experience mental health issues in the workplace (Lelliott, Tulloch, Boardman, Harvey & Henderson, Mental Health & Work, 2008)

1 in 8 or working age population have MSK problems (wellbeing.bitc.org.uk)

Public Health has an ambition to enable the working age population to achieve their potential for a healthy and productive life.

Employees who are in good health are up to 3 times more productive, more motivated, more resilient and engaged with the business’s priorities as those in poor health.

Over the years, the number of work days lost to illness has been gradually decreasing and it is clear that health and wellbeing has dramatically improved for some, but for others there is still a way to go. Employers are losing billions of pounds because employees are less productive, less effective, or off sick.

“In 2016, 137.3 million working days were lost to illness”. (ONS, 2016)

The Councils across Milton Keynes, Central Bedfordshire and Bedford Borough are committed to supporting local businesses to improve the health and wellbeing of its employees, regardless of size, sector or familiarity with the subject.

Many employers are unaware of investing in health and wellbeing with poor understanding of information, initiatives and advice that can be provided. For small and medium sized organisations, affordable and accessible sources of support and advice are not routinely available. That is why we have designed this guide for employers to provide information on local resources to encourage healthier workplaces.

It is designed to present good practice in advocating evidence based messages and we hope to strengthen positive actions to build a culture that champions good mental and physical health to everyone.

Healthy Workplace Award Scheme

The workplace is increasingly being recognised as a key setting for health promotion and the World Health Organisation (WHO) has established the workplace, along with schools, hospitals and the marketplace as one of the priority settings for health promotion into the 21st century this is due to the workplace having influences on physical, mental and economic wellbeing.

The Healthy Workplace Award Scheme has been set up to provide organisations and businesses in Milton Keynes, Central Bedfordshire and Bedford Borough with a consistent measure of workplace health. It covers core standards and sets out a framework for employees to gauge performance regardless of size or sector.

The Healthy Workplace Award Scheme invites employers to take a flexible, honest appraisal of how their organisation is performing starting at Bronze level and overtime progressing through to Gold. The Healthy Workplace Award Scheme is independently accredited which can have a profound impact, paying dividends for employers and employees alike.

RAND Corporation 2018 Review found accreditation standards contributed to:“improvements in policies, infrastructure and the provision of wellbeing programmes by participating organisations, such as sickness absence, job satisfaction and staff morale”.

Potential Measureable Outcomes are defined by:

Business Happy, healthy productive workforce Reduction in the % rate of sickness absence Reduction in sickness absence and recruitment costs

Employees Improved health and wellbeing (mental health, physical health and

emotional wellbeing) Positive changes in health behaviours Increased productivity Job satisfaction

Steps to gain the Healthy Workplace Award:

Timeline:

* You can register any time of the year and added to our index ready to commence in January **Assessors will come together collectively during one week in October to review evidenceThe Organisation Champion

9. Measure impact by staff engagement/needs assessment follow up

8. Awards ceremony to celebrate outstanding organisations

7. Awarded with accreditation

6. Validation from Independent Assessors

5. Collect and present evidence once fully met

4. Staff engagement or needs assessment to identify priority standards

3. Organisational champion attends a one day assessor training day arranged by Public Health England

2. Register for the Healthy Workplace Awards Scheme

1. Identify an organisational champion who will be responsible for completing the awards and receive training on the awards assessment

process

Register for Healthy

W orkplace Awards*

January

Identified Cham pion

attends 'Assessor training'

February

Start Staff Survey &

decide standards

to com plete

March

Subm it evidence

online

September

Assessor reviews

assessm ents**

October

Assessor workplace

visit & Brief

Report

November

Healthy W orkplace

Awards cerem ony

December

The Champion will help to promote workplace health and collate evidence for the Healthy Workplace Award.  The Champion will also be trained in the awards assessment process currently facilitated by Public Health England.

The Assessment Process When all the evidence has been submitted electronically assessors from another organisation will assess the evidence to determine how the employer is meeting the standards. The independent assessor will then visit the workplace and speak with senior management/ Champion to assess the extent to which workplace health is a priority within the organisation.

This culminates in producing a brief reporti documenting what has been done well and where they need to improve. The report forms part of the assessment process and offers constructive feedback and praise across the standards that evidence has been submitted against. 

The idea of this is to generate a community of knowledge and improvement: the organisation being assessed gets clear recommendations on what could improve, and the assessors return to their workplaces able to translate the insights they have gained locally.

To register for the Workplace Health Awards or to find out more:

*Email: Public.Health@milton-keynes.gov.uk

Web: https://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/health-and-wellbeing-hub/work-well-mk/healthy-workplace-awards

Tel: 01908 252026 In association with:

Invest MK Invest in Bedford Be Central Bedfordshire

*This email address should also be used for businesses located in Central Bedfordshire and Bedford Borough

i Brief Report template attached