Most working age adults spend approximately 8 to 10 hours a day at work!
After meeting Karen Dawson from Wakefield Council at a recent networking event, Karen has kindly written a piece about employee and workplace health for us.
A Healthy Workforce Is An Essential Part Of Running A Productive Business
Most working age adults spend approximately 8 to 10 hours a day at work, this means there is a large proportion of each working day where the workplace can either positively or negatively influence employee health and wellbeing.
Poor workplace health and wellbeing has been shown to have a significant negative impact on the profitability of individual businesses and the wider local and national economy.
The annual economic costs of sickness absence and worklessness associated with working age ill-health are estimated to be over £100 billion. This is greater than the current annual budget for the NHS and equivalent to the entire GDP of Portugal.
Mental health problems, such as stress and depression, costs the UK economy an estimated £70 billion a year or 4.5 per cent of GDP. Sickness absence caused by stress, anxiety or depression increased from 11.8 million days in 2010 to 15.2 million days in 2013.
Levels of obesity are increasing dramatically and, if current trends continue, around 90% of men and 80% of women will be overweight or obese by 2050.
In the Wakefield District:
- 27% of people are smokers. According to the ASH reckoner, smoking breaks cost businesses in Wakefield £39m per year as a result of lost productivity
- 28.5% of Overweight adults
- 29% of adults do not do enough physical activity to stay healthy
- 26% of adults binge drink
What Can Your Business Do?
The Wakefield Workplace Health and Wellbeing Charter has been developed to set out a vision for the creation of healthy and productive workplaces throughout the Wakefield District. It gives recognition to workplaces that can demonstrate they are working to develop a sustainable culture of health and wellbeing. It provides practical guidance for employers on how to create, enhance and promote your health and wellness programme in your workplace utilising the services and experience of Wakefield Council and its partners.
Wakefield Council has a Workplace Health Coordinator who offers support with:
- Workplace health promotion activities
- Developing a healthy workplace culture
- Enabling staff to be more physically active
- Helping staff who want to stop smoking
- Promoting healthy eating
- Alcohol awareness
- Looking after the mental health of your staff
Any public, private and third sector employers in the Wakefield District that can show they are taking steps to improve the health and wellbeing of their employees can apply for the Wakefield Workplace Wellbeing Charter Mark.
To find out more about improving Workplace Health and Wellbeing or to apply for the Charter Mark contact: workplacehealth@wakefield.gov.uk
A copy of the Wakefield Workplace Health and Wellbeing Charter is available the Wakefield Council Website.
