Clearview National February 2019 - Issue 207 | Page 76
BUSINESSNEWS
Workplace wellbeing
– is it working?
Employee wellbeing is being compromised by a lack of
understanding of how to implement effective programmes,
reveals the latest research from the British Safety Council.
» » ONLY ONE IN SIX (17 PER CENT)
organisations evaluate the impact of their
health and wellbeing initiatives (source:
CIPD).
In nearly two thirds of companies (63
per cent), other priorities take precedence
over employees’ wellbeing (source: Britain’s
Healthiest Workplace survey).
28% of SME leaders think their companies
are too small to take employee health and
wellbeing seriously. A third (32%) of them
thought health and wellbeing was the domain
of large businesses (source: Bupa 2015
survey).
The main reasons for this situation are the
difficulties of defining wellbeing, selecting the
best tools for assessing wellbeing programmes
and measuring the cost-effectiveness of these
interventions. Inadequate people skills of many
line managers and low priority given by them
to employee wellbeing are also important
factors.
Responding to these challenges, the
British Safety Council has published a report
Not just free fruit: wellbeing at work. The
76 » F EB 2019 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M
report defines wellbeing in the workplace
and suggests a set of metrics for effectively
measuring wellbeing programmes and policies.
The report, which is a comprehensive
review of the existing literature and market
intelligence, is a call to action for employers in
Britain to place the wellbeing needs of their
workers at the top of the executive agenda.
Lawrence Waterman, Chairman of the
British Safety Council, said: “Discussions
about health and wellbeing permeate our
daily lives, whether it’s the accessibility of
good clinical care, the stresses of modern
living or the importance of physical activity
and good nutrition. They are supported by
common beliefs: work sometimes contributes
to ill health; the workplace can provide an
environment where good health can be
promoted; and everyone should play a role in
encouraging and protecting good health and
wellbeing.
“Too often, unlike the highly professional
approach applied to risk assessment and risk
control, wellbeing efforts have been marked
by a combination of real enthusiasm and
commitment married to a woeful ignorance
of what will make a difference. This positivity
could dissipate into incoherent programmes
of free bananas and occasional ‘health
weeks’, featuring Indian head massage and
aromatherapy.
“The Wellbeing at work report represents
the British Safety Council’s contribution
to establishing rigorous, evidence-based
workplace interventions which enhance the
wellbeing of everyone involved. It calls for
commitment, clear thinking and effective
action, not only to make our workplaces
healthy and safe, but also to make a
tangible impact on improving the lives of all
workers.”
The report makes several
recommendations to employers for
creating and evaluating workplace wellbeing
programmes, including the following
proposals:
ABOUT THE BRITISH
SAFETY COUNCIL
Since its foundation in 1957, the
British Safety Council has campaigned
tirelessly to protect workers from
accidents, hazards and unsafe
conditions, and played a decisive role in
the political process that has led to the
adoption of landmark safety legislation
in the UK. Its members in more
than 60 countries are committed to
protecting and improving the wellbeing
of workers, believing that a healthy and
safe work environment is also good for
business.
As part of its charitable work, the
British Safety Council leads health
and safety networking forums for all
sectors, facilitates and promotes best
practice in Britain and overseas. It also
offers a range of services and products,
including training, qualifications,
publications, audits and awards. The
British Safety Council works closely
with organisations, charities and
individuals who share its vision of
ensuring that every worker goes home
at the end of the day as healthy as they
were when they went to work.
1. Employees must be given the
opportunity to participate in the
creation and development of initiatives
designed to improve their own health
and wellbeing.
2. Line managers must be appropriately
trained in mental health awareness
and the relevant support mechanisms,
so that they have the confidence to
communicate with employees in a caring
and sensitive manner.
3. Organisations should evaluate the
impact and efficacy of their health and
wellbeing interventions on a regular
basis, to ensure that they adapt and
respond to the changing needs of their
workers.
4. Workers’ wellbeing is linked to job
quality, which is expressed through a
healthy working environment, fair wages,
strong relationships with managers
and colleagues, job design, a degree of
responsibility and authority, workload,
working hours, and career development
prospects.
www.britsafe.org