Using the workplace as a locus for a healthier lifestyle is a worthwhile way to tackle public health issues, writes Anne Dempsey.
The notion that work is good for health may draw a hollow laugh from the many who dread Monday mornings, or feel passed over for promotion, bullied by the boss, stressed out at the screen and generally unfulfilled. However, given that we spend one-third of our waking hours at work, using the workplace as the locus for a healthy lifestyle is increasingly being seen as a worthwhile way to tackle public health among EU member-states.
Workplace health promotion aims to provide an environment that encourages and supports healthier lifestyle choices. To this end, the European Network for Workplace Health Promotion (ENWHP) has been established to encourage good practice.
"As healthier employees help to relieve statutory health, pension and accident insurance funds, the financial choice for social objectives increases as well," says the ENWHP website (www.enwhp.org). In other words, healthy workers make for healthy profits.
Although workplace health promotion is not new, only a minority of enterprises have adopted such policies. ENWHP offers a forum to help change attitudes. Suggested approaches range from making workplace health promotion a legal requirement to introducing quality certificates or bonus schemes.
In Ireland, each health board has health promotion staff to work with local industry on workplace health promotion. In the Midland Health Board they decided to put their own house in order first.
"We took a corporate approach, spearheaded by the CEO, involving health promotion, HR, corporate fitness and public health departments," says health promotion officer June Boulger.
They began by commissioning a survey into quality of life at work, covering sources of work stress, coping strategies, the work environment, individual and workplace demography, health and well-being, bullying, and health interventions.
Over a third of 6,000 employees over all grades responded, identifying six key areas for action. These were stress management, anti-bullying, communication, safe moving and handling practices, equality, and improved management training.
The most common source of work stress was a perceived lack of consultation and poor communication about organisational decisions.
Issues concerning physical accommodation, lack of space, poor workstation design, lack of toilets and rest rooms were also highlighted. Back pain was identified as the main physical health problem.
"The survey highlighted several positive findings too, including high satisfaction levels from their choice of occupation, work processes and with the quality of social interaction among colleagues and management," says Boulger.
In response, the board has introduced Bullyproof, a compulsory training programme for all staff in recognising and dealing with workplace bullying.
Good communication practice is being introduced and a work/life balance programme is under way.
The development of a more co-ordinated approach to injuries, including the promotion of back care management, takes a holistic approach from prevention to treatment and encourages active lifestyles.
"These developments are making an immediate impact. The challenge will be whether it makes an overall difference to the organisation in the long term, reorienting the health service as a health promoting organisation," says Boulger.
A Workplace Health Partnership has also been formed between the Western and North Western Health Boards, the Health and Safety Authority and the Occupational Health Nurses' Association of Ireland, combining the three disciplines of health promotion, health and safety and occupational health.
The partnership will help to create and support health-promoting practises in small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This kind of collaboration is a first for Ireland.
The initiative began with a regional conference to raise awareness. Conference recommendations led to the development of the SME Workplace Health Information Pack, which provides information on health promotion and occupational health and safety, materials, tools and support, offers a one-stop information source and good role modelling for creating health promotion in the workplace.
The process is important. First, you need commitment from management, and a steering committee to facilitate strong employee participation. The onus is on employees to come up with the issues and to help work out solutions. These are not necessarily costly; small changes can make a difference.
"For instance, one company we worked with identified poor communication as a problem. Their solution was to form a team structure, with regular team meetings, which hugely improved the information flow," says Siobhan Hourigan, the Western Health Board's health promotion officer.
The partnership has also created a website www.workplacehealth.ie to share information, news and good practice.
More recently, as part of the Roscommon County Development Plan, the partnership carried out a survey of SMEs which identified the ongoing need for support in creating healthier workplaces.
In response, a pilot project has been set up, in which 10 Roscommon companies will be helped to develop a workplace health project.
"We are currently inviting companies of up to 250 employees who would like to be involved to contact us," says Hourigan.
Meanwhile, the Workplace Health Partnership remains as a resource to companies in the Western and North Western Health Board region who want to go the healthy route.