London Life
21
SPONSORED COLUMN
Why occupational health is an investment, not a cost
Singin’ in the square
Scenes in the square are sculptures which feature classic characters which resonate with Leicester Square’ s association with the film industry, an industry that brings millions of pounds into the economies of London and the UK.
Magical
Gene Kelly is depicted in his unforgettable performance in the 1952 film Singin’ in the Rain. As both director and
Tribute
Three sculptures in Paternoster Square are helping to publicise the need to build a new, world-leading children’ s cancer centre at Great Ormond Street hospital.
Every year in the UK around 1,900 children are choreographer of the film, he created the magical sequence that everyone loves to sing along to.
Premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York, the film – which also starred Debbie Reynolds, Cyd Charisse and Donald O’ Connor – was only a modest hit when first released. It has since been acclaimed as one of the greatest musical films ever made.
diagnosed with cancer. The sculptures, woven from replica chemotherapy wires, are presented as a tribute all those who have“ had precious childhood moments stolen by cancer.”
www. gosh. org / the-childrenscancer-centre
By the time this issue lands, the Chancellor will have delivered the new government’ s first Autumn Budget. Whatever the detail, one thing is already certain. Businesses up and down the country will be looking harder than ever at every line of spend, trying to work out where to protect, where to cut, and where to invest. Occupational health belongs firmly in the third category, and this is a good moment to explain why.
The numbers on workplace ill health are striking. The governmentcommissioned Keep Britain Working review puts the annual cost to UK employers at around £ 85 billion. That breaks down into roughly £ 47 billion in lost output from staff who are unable to work, £ 21 billion lost to presenteeism – people turning up but underperforming – £ 10 billion in sick pay, and £ 7 billion in conflict resolution, litigation, and covering absent staff. For a London business of thirty people, those headline figures imply something in the order of £ 75,000 a year lost to ill health in one form or another.
Set against those figures, the cost of structured occupational health input is modest. A properly handled management referral is typically a few hundred pounds. The output is a clear, clinically informed report that tells an employer what the health issue is, how work is contributing, and what adjustments would help the person back to full productivity. One referral that shortens an absence by a fortnight has already paid for itself several times over. One that prevents a dispute going to tribunal pays for itself many times over again.
Across my columns I have returned to the same point from different angles – the hidden costs of workplace ill health, burnout, structured absence management, and the lessons the sports world has for employers. The common thread is simple. Occupational health is best understood as an investment in your workforce, not a line item to be trimmed when budgets tighten.
If you want to put structured OH input to work in your business, get in touch at www. artensiamedical. com. A short conversation is usually enough to identify where to start and how to get the best out of it.
Dr Christopher Levy is an occupational health doctor and founder of Artensia Medical Services, providing pragmatic workplace health support for London businesses.
info @ artensiamedical. com