Your Simple Guide to Workplace Health and
Transcription
Your Simple Guide to Workplace Health and
Your simple guide to WORKPLACE HEALTH AND WELLBEING Building a successful health and wellbeing program in your workplace A joint Australian and State Government initiative Acknowledgements Your Simple Guide to Workplace Health and Wellbeing is a collaboration between WorkCover Tasmania and Population Health, Department of Health and Human Services (Tasmania). Additional funding has been provided by the Tasmanian Government through: the Healthy@Work project the Department of Education. This publication and the Workplace Health and Wellbeing Advisory Service has been developed under the National Partnership Agreement on Preventive Health – a joint Australian and Tasmanian Government initiative. Acknowledgement is also given to: the Tasmanian Premier’s Physical Activity Council the many organisations and individuals who assisted with the development of this guide. Copies of this publication can be downloaded from www.workcover.tas.gov.au/ goodhealthgoodbusiness or call 1300 776 572 for a printed copy. We welcome your feedback on this guide. Send to: [email protected] Images on the front cover and back cover are provided courtesy of TasPorts. Images on pages 15, 22, 31 and the back cover are provided courtesy of Juicy Isle. ISBN: 978 1 876712 05 1 This information is for guidance only and is not to be taken as an expression of the law. It should be read in conjunction with the Work Health and Safety Act, the model Work Health and Safety Regulations and any other relevant legislation. Copies can be viewed at www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au About this guide The guide is used by WorkCover’s Health and Wellbeing Advisors when they conduct visits to workplaces, and can also be used as a stand-alone resource. About WorkCover’s Health and Wellbeing Advisory Service WorkCover’s Health and Wellbeing Advisors can help you to: understand health and wellbeing and the ongoing benefits to having a workplace health and wellbeing program develop a program that suits your workplace identify the activities and health topics your employees will value monitor and review your program outcomes make links with community health organisations, providers and services. To request a free visit by an advisor in your workplace, call 1300 776 572, or visit www.workcover.tas.gov.au About this guide Your Simple Guide to Workplace Health and Wellbeing can help employees and managers implement a workplace health and wellbeing program in their organisation. The guide contains a wealth of practical and straightforward information, including links to time-saving and easy-to-use templates. Contents PAGE www Good health is good for business Linking health, safety and wellbeing Why invest in health and wellbeing? Implementing your workplace health and wellbeing program Getting others involved Turning ideas into actions Where to go for more information Other health, safety and wellbeing initiatives References Whenever you see this symbol, an additional online resource is provided – visit www.workcover.tas.gov.au/goodhealthgoodbusiness Whenever you see this symbol, further information and resources are provided on the CD-ROM attached to the back of this guide. ON CD-ROM A healthy workplace is good for business 01 02 03 04 20 23 29 30 32 contents 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 Image courtesy of TasPorts 01 Good health is good for business So what are the benefits? Organisations that implement workplace health and wellbeing programs are known to have: increased employee morale and engagement improved corporate image reduced workplace injuries and associated expenses increased attraction and retention of employees. According to research2, healthier employees: are more productive are more engaged in their work have less sick leave have greater levels of energy and concentration. In short, a healthy workplace is good for business. ‘The wealth of business depends on the health of workers.’ 4x Organisations that don’t promote health and wellness are four times more likely to lose talent within 12 months.1 Healthy workers are almost three times more productive than unhealthy workers.2 9x 3x Unhealthy workers have up to nine times the annual sickness absence of healthy workers.2 3x Employees that work in organisations that actively promote health and wellbeing are three times more likely to identify their workplace as a high or above-average performer. 3 20 A 20% reduction in an employee’s emotional wellbeing leads to a 10% drop in their work performance.4 For more information on workplace health and wellbeing and the impact this can have on your organisation, visit www.workcover.tas.gov.au/ goodhealthgoodbusiness Report: Medibank Private www – The health of Australia’s workforce (PDF file) For more information on workplace health and wellbeing, download the following resource from the attached CD-ROM, or from www.workcover.tas.gov.au/ goodhealthgoodbusiness – Dr Maria Neira, Director, Department of Public Health and Environment, World Health Organisation Section 01: Good health is good for business ON CD-ROM A healthy workplace is good for business1 Good health is good for business Australians spend about one third of their lives at work.1 It makes good sense to consider the workplace as an important setting to improve health and wellbeing. 02 Linking health, safety and wellbeing Linking health, safety and wellbeing While work health and safety has a legislated position in Australian workplaces, the emphasis has traditionally been on the ‘health and safety’ of employees, rather than their ‘health and wellbeing’. However, recognition of the benefits of workplace health and wellbeing programs is now gaining momentum. Responding to the shift towards health and wellbeing, many Australian organisations are making the direct link between a safe worker and a healthy worker, recognising they are one and the same. Best-practice workplaces are now integrating workplace health, safety and wellbeing into their management practices. Healthy workers are: fitter more aware and alert more resilient against illness less likely to suffer manual handling injuries or strains. This makes them safer workers. safety health wellbeing ‘You can’t be a safe worker if you’re not a healthy worker.’ – Professor Dame Carol Black, Expert Adviser on Work and Health, Department of Health, England For more information on linking health, safety and wellbeing in the workplace, download the following resource from the attached CD-ROM, or from www.workcover.tas.gov.au/ goodhealthgoodbusiness Section 02: Linking health, safety and wellbeing ON CD-ROM 2 03 Why invest in health and wellbeing? In the short term, the success of your health and wellbeing program will be demonstrated by improvements in the way your employees: work together engage in their jobs enjoy their work. In the long term, you should see the positive influence of your program on your organisation’s business performance through: gains in staff retention improved efficiency enhanced corporate image reduced absenteeism and presenteeism fewer disability claims. Some of these improvements are harder to measure than others, but each will contribute to improving your business bottom line. For more information on the return on investment of a workplace health and wellbeing program, visit www.workcover.tas.gov.au/ goodhealthgoodbusiness www Template: Return on investment calculator (Excel spreadsheet) For more information on investing in workplace health and wellbeing, download the following resource from the attached CD-ROM, or from www.workcover.tas.gov.au/ goodhealthgoodbusiness Section 03: Why invest in health and wellbeing? ON CD-ROM Business performance fast facts F or every dollar invested in workplace health and wellbeing programs, there is a return on investment of between three and six dollars.6 Reduced performance costs employers two to seven times more than absenteeism.7 In 2005-2006, the cost of work-related injury and illness in Australia was estimated to be $57.5 billion (5.9% of GDP), of which employers bore $10.2 billion.8 The greater the number of health risks per employee, the greater the negative impact on their productivity.9 Implementing a health and wellbeing program can reduce employee risk factors by up to 56%.10 A healthy workplace is good for business3 Why invest in health and wellbeing? Given the close link between healthy employees and business performance5, a workplace health and wellbeing program has the potential to have a positive impact on your business productivity. 04 IMPLEMENTING YOUR workplace health and wellbeing program IMPLEMENTING YOUR workplace health and wellbeing program A workplace health and wellbeing program refers to activities carried out within the workplace that are designed to impact positively on the general health and wellbeing of employees. Workplace health and wellbeing programs will differ in cost, size and range of activities offered, depending on the culture, size and location of your workplace. Whether your workplace is large or small, there are some key principles which can guide the development of your program. A successful health and wellbeing program: 1.Is cost effective and doesn’t have to be expensive 2.Is closely linked to workplace health and safety 3.Assesses needs to identify health issues in the workplace 4.Involves voluntary participation and achieves high participation 5.Is sustainable and has a long-term commitment 6.Is evaluated and reviewed as required 7.Addresses individual and organisational issues 8.Has management support and senior managers are actively involved 9.Is accessible to all employees, irrespective of their health status, location or role in the workplace 10.Has coordinators who have access to resources and training relevant to health promotion 4 For more information on implementing a successful workplace health and wellbeing program, download the following resource from the attached CD-ROM, or from www.workcover.tas.gov.au/ goodhealthgoodbusiness ON CD-ROM Section 04: Implementing your workplace health and wellbeing program Get the ball rolling Organise your program Work out what you need Update your program Develop your action plan Monitor and evaluate your program Implement your action plan Adapted from Public Sector Management Office 2009, Guidelines for implementing a workplace health and wellbeing program, Department of Premier and Cabinet, Tasmania. A healthy workplace is good for business5 IMPLEMENTING YOUR workplace health and wellbeing program To develop an effective health and wellbeing program in your workplace, the cycle shown on the right can be useful. Keep in mind that you don’t need to do these steps in a particular order – many organisations start by simply introducing activities that ‘sound like a good idea’. From there, they gradually include larger and more sustainable health and wellbeing initiatives that result in long-term business benefits. 04 IMPLEMENTING YOUR workplace health and wellbeing program IMPLEMENTING YOUR workplace health and wellbeing program Get the ball rolling It’s important to get solid commitment and support from senior managers, and to ensure that they have a clear understanding of the program’s aims, expectations and resources needed. You will probably see a higher level of employee engagement and enthusiasm if senior managers actively engage in the program’s activities. For more information on gaining manager support for your workplace health and wellbeing program, visit www.workcover.tas.gov.au/ goodhealthgoodbusiness Get the ball rolling Organise your program Work out what you need Update your program Develop your action plan Monitor and evaluate your program Implement your action plan Template: Presentation www to senior managers (PowerPoint presentation) Template: Proposal www to senior managers (Word document) It’s also a good idea at this point to identify a workplace coordinator – one key person who will manage all health and wellbeing activities. This might be a person who already has human resources or health and safety as a part of their role. 6 Once you have management support and have identified a central coordinator, you can start to organise a working group or steering committee to help implement your program. This may be a new role for an existing group, such as the work health and safety group. In a smaller workplace, this may be one or two keen individuals who are willing to get involved. Ideally, all levels and areas of your organisation are represented. It’s important that the coordinator takes a lead role in establishing regular meeting times, following up on actions and ensuring progress stays on track. For more information on establishing a working group for your workplace health and wellbeing program, visit www.workcover.tas.gov.au/ goodhealthgoodbusiness Get the ball rolling Organise your program Work out what you need Update your program Develop your action plan Monitor and evaluate your program Implement your action plan Fact sheet: Establishing www a workplace health and wellbeing working group (PDF file) Template: Terms of www Reference for a working group (Word document) A healthy workplace is good for business7 IMPLEMENTING YOUR workplace health and wellbeing program Organise your program 04 IMPLEMENTING YOUR workplace health and wellbeing program IMPLEMENTING YOUR workplace health and wellbeing program Work out what you need Your workplace health and wellbeing program will only succeed if it meets the needs of your employees. Get the ball rolling Organise your program To find out more about their priorities, you’ll need to ask them. Do they want to: start exercising? eat better? Work out what you need stop smoking? manage their stress? have more flexible working hours? Establishing what your employees want and need lays the foundations of your program and gives it a direction. In a small organisation, you can simply ask the question at a team meeting and see what topics come up. In a large organisation, you might need to do a more formal survey. For more information on establishing employee needs for your workplace health and wellbeing program, visit www.workcover.tas.gov.au/ goodhealthgoodbusiness Template: Needs survey www (simple or extended) (Word document) 8 Update your program Develop your action plan Monitor and evaluate your program Implement your action plan To find out more about the health of your employees in general, try the free online health and wellbeing survey, located at www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/healthpromotion/survey This confidential survey provides the individual employee with immediate feedback on their health, and also provides the workplace with a summary of the survey’s findings (if more than 30 employees have completed the survey). It’s important to report the results of these surveys back to both managers and employees, so everyone knows they have been heard. You might also want to conduct a review of your workplace environment to see what facilities you currently have. You’ll probably find there are facilities that you can work into your program (like stairs, showers or a bike rack), and others that need updating or reviewing (such as kitchen facilities or the office layout). For more information on conducting a workplace environment review, visit www.workcover.tas.gov.au/ goodhealthgoodbusiness Template: Workplace www environment checklist (Word document) Any survey you use needs to be voluntary, confidential and anonymous. You don’t want your employees worrying that this information will be made public or used for the wrong reasons. A healthy workplace is good for business9 IMPLEMENTING YOUR workplace health and wellbeing program A successful workplace health and wellbeing program will address the needs of the employees – find out what they are. 04 IMPLEMENTING YOUR workplace health and wellbeing program Creating a plan for your health and wellbeing program keeps you focused and organised. Your plan doesn’t have to be formal or complex, but should guide the direction you want your program to take. Get the ball rolling Organise your program To develop your plan: set a program goal Work out what you need determine your program objectives identify the strategies or activities for each objective and set a timeline of these activities identify resources, facilities and expertise for each activity Update your program Develop your action plan Monitor and evaluate your program Implement your action plan choose activities that appeal to a broad spectrum of your employees. Now is also a good time to develop a simple workplace health and wellbeing policy. Communicate this to your employees and display it in your workplace. For more information on developing an action plan and policy for your workplace health and wellbeing program, visit www.workcover.tas.gov.au/ goodhealthgoodbusiness IMPLEMENTING YOUR workplace health and wellbeing program Develop your action plan Template: Sample action plan www (Word document) Template: Workplace www health and wellbeing policy (Word document) A healthy workplace is good for business11 04 IMPLEMENTING YOUR workplace health and wellbeing program IMPLEMENTING YOUR workplace health and wellbeing program Implement your action plan Now it’s time to see all that planning in action. Promote your activities in a variety of ways, including through email, intranet, using displays and posters and through word of mouth. In many workplaces, there are employees who do not have regular access to email, so these employees may be more difficult to reach. You can also link in with other community events and take advantage of promotional activities that are already in place. This might include events such as Diabetes Awareness Week, Mental Health Week or Nutrition Month. For more information on community programs and linking these with your action plan, visit www.workcover.tas.gov.au/ goodhealthgoodbusiness Template: Sample health www and wellbeing program (Word document) The following table shows a simple plan for a workplace health and wellbeing program using free community resources. 12 Get the ball rolling Organise your program Work out what you need Update your program Develop your action plan Monitor and evaluate your program Implement your action plan A simple workplace health and wellbeing program Topic Activity January Get into the New Year! Have a toolbox or all-staff meeting to find out what health topics and activities are of interest Alcohol awareness Encourage employees to participate in FebFast February Contacts and Resources Swap It, Don’t Stop It 12-week planner (www.swapit.gov.au) Get Healthy Information and Coaching Service (www.gethealthy.tas.gov.au) FebFast (www.febfast.org.au) Drug Education Network (www.den.org.au) Physical activity March Run a pedometer challenge and promote walking meetings Obtain low-cost pedometers from Get Moving Tasmania (www.getmoving.tas.gov.au) Pedometer challenge (www.10000stepstasmania.com) April Have some time off over Easter May Heart health June July Heart Foundation Review your program Contact WorkCover’s Health and Wellbeing Advisory Service for a free visit WorkCover Tasmania Diabetes awareness Circulate diabetes risk assessments to staff Diabetes Tasmania (www.heartfoundation.org.au) (www.workcover.tas.gov.au) (www.diabetestas.com.au) August Many employees take a break over August to escape winter… a good time to consolidate your spring and summer program September Healthy eating and hydration Have a Grand Final BBQ with healthy eating options Big Red BBQ (www.bigredbbq.com.au) Attend free WorkSafe Month events WorkSafe Tasmania Men’s health and women’s health Get involved with Movember or have a women’s health workshop Movember (www.movember.com.au) Celebrate! Get everyone involved and celebrate your successes! WorkSafe Month October November December Try running blood pressure checks or display heart health information IMPLEMENTING YOUR workplace health and wellbeing program Month Nutrition Australia (www.nutritionaustralia.org) (www.worksafe.tas.gov.au) Local health promotion services A healthy workplace is good for business13 04 IMPLEMENTING YOUR workplace health and wellbeing program 14 IMPLEMENTING YOUR workplace health and wellbeing program Monitor and evaluate your program Keeping track of what your program is doing is the only way to discover if it’s actually working. This might be as simple as asking participants how they are going or recording participation rates for larger programs. You could even re-do your original survey and compare the results. Get the ball rolling Organise your program Work out what you need Sharing your findings with managers and employees is key to fostering positive enthusiasm in the program. Evaluation may seem a daunting task if you have not attempted it before. It doesn’t have to be! For more information on evaluating your workplace health and wellbeing program, visit www.workcover.tas.gov.au/ goodhealthgoodbusiness www Fact sheet: A simple guide to evaluation (PDF file) Update your program Develop your action plan Monitor and evaluate your program Implement your action plan Remember, all good things take time, and you can’t expect everything to change straight away. The benefits of a workplace health and wellbeing program may spread out over several years. IMPLEMENTING YOUR workplace health and wellbeing program If you haven’t seen your Health and Wellbeing Advisor for a while, now might be a good time to get in touch again. They can help with your evaluation, and help troubleshoot any issues that your evaluation has highlighted. Within a few months Employee engagement Team cohesiveness Within 1-2 years Health knowledge Job satisfaction Productivity Corporate image Within 3-5 years Absenteeism Injuries Workers compensation costs A healthy workplace is good for business15 04 IMPLEMENTING YOUR workplace health and wellbeing program If you have been running your program for a year or so, and have seen some great results, it might be a good time to review your progress and work out what to concentrate on next. Redistributing your original survey is a great way of working out how employee needs have changed – and how you can update your program in response. Grab your action plan and work out which activities are no longer needed, and where you might need more emphasis. If you need assistance, remember you can always contact your Health and Wellbeing Advisor. Get the ball rolling Organise your program Work out what you need Update your program Develop your action plan Monitor and evaluate your program Implement your action plan IMPLEMENTING YOUR workplace health and wellbeing program Update your program A healthy workplace is good for business17 04 IMPLEMENTING YOUR workplace health and wellbeing program IMPLEMENTING YOUR workplace health and wellbeing program The following checklist summarises the steps of your workplace health and wellbeing program. Use the time-saving resources listed on the opposite page to guide the development of your program. SUMMARY CHECKLIST RESOURCE www AVAILABLE Get the ball rolling Gain management support and commitment 1, 2 Identify a program coordinator Organise your program Form a working group or steering committee 3, 4 Involve employees from across all levels and areas Work out what you need Ask your employees what they want Conduct a survey 5 Share the results with managers and employees Conduct a workplace environment review 6 Develop your action plan Develop an action plan that includes program goals, objectives, strategies and activities, and resources 7 Develop a workplace health and wellbeing policy 8 Choose activities that appeal to a broad spectrum of your employees Implement your action plan Promote your activities Link to community events 9 Monitor and evaluate your program Ask for feedback on the program’s progress Share the results with managers and employees Contact your Health and Wellbeing Advisor Update your program Review your progress Update your action plan 18 10 1. Template:Presentation to senior managers 2. Template:Proposal to senior managers 3. Fact sheet:Establishing a workplace health and wellbeing working group 4. Template:Terms of Reference for a working group 5. Template:Needs survey (simple or extended) 6. Template:Workplace environment checklist 7. Template:Sample action plan 8. Template: Workplace health and wellbeing policy 9. Template:Sample health and wellbeing program 10. Fact sheet:A simple guide to evaluation IMPLEMENTING YOUR workplace health and wellbeing program The following list of time-saving templates and fact sheets can be downloaded from www.workcover.tas.gov.au/goodhealthgoodbusiness A healthy workplace is good for business19 05 Getting others involved Getting others involved It is natural to expect that employees already engaged in health and wellbeing activities outside of work will be attracted to opportunities presented by their employer. A successful health and wellbeing program can benefit from the enthusiasm of these individuals who will often act as a catalyst for others to take up new activities. It can be a challenge to encourage some employees who may be reluctant to participate in a workplace health and wellbeing program. Try not to get distracted by those who actively oppose your program – they will usually be a small percentage of your team. The focus of your engagement should ideally rest with the majority of employees, who are quiet supporters of the program, neutral in their opinion, or quietly oppose the program. Your aim is that over time, these employees will move towards active supporters. The following strategies may be useful in engaging employees. Have a program that is endorsed by senior managers: A program that has active participants drawn from senior managers allows other employees to give themselves ‘permission’ to join in. Negative or obstructive thoughts such as ‘I don’t have enough time’ have less influence over behaviour when there is a perception that others with ‘less’ time are involved. 20 Create a program that is owned by employees: If employees are consulted on the content of a workplace health and wellbeing program (such as in a survey or consultation process), then they are more likely to ‘own’ the program. This ownership will likely increase their engagement in activities. A feedback mechanism is also an important part of program ownership, giving employees a say as to what’s working and what’s not. C onsider having your programs available to family and community members: If your health and wellbeing program extends to your employees’ family members or other community members, for example, through invitations to healthy picnics or sports days, then this will also increase participation rates and interest. 1 -2 % Section 05: Getting others involved ON CD-ROM 0 % o pp o sitio n 40-50 3 For more information on getting others involved, download the following resource from the attached CD-ROM, or from www.workcover.tas.gov.au/ goodhealthgoodbusiness active opposition 1 5- 2 4 0- H ave your program supported by unions: In some workplace cultures, it’s appropriate and important to acknowledge that the relevant trade unions support the program. Getting others involved ‘ What’s in it for me?’: We often consider a new idea through the lens of ‘what’s in it for me?’, and a workplace health and wellbeing program is no exception. Employees who can see a distinct benefit for them if they participate will be more likely to pursue particular activities. Using this knowledge to highlight personal benefits when promoting program activities can help to increase participation rates. 0% % n e ut r al q uiet s u p p or ter s 5-10% wellness champions Adapted from Allen, J 2008, Achieving a culture of health: The business case, Health Enhancement Systems, United States. A healthy workplace is good for business21 TURNING IDEAS INTO ACTIONS 22 06 TURNING IDEAS INTO ACTIONS The following are examples of quick wins that may be adopted in your workplace. For more information on each of these focus areas, download the suggested information. Healthy eating A workplace can have a significant impact on the food choices made by employees, and the workplace itself can be a significant source of food. Here are some quick ideas that can make a big difference to how your employees eat while they are at work. P rovide cost-recovery fruit and vegetable bowls. Make sure fruit bowls have a variety of fruit (including seasonal fruit). Resealable bags of carrot sticks or celery sticks can help increase vegetable consumption, which is often below daily recommended servings. If your workplace has a fridge, provide cost-recovery yoghurt or cheese and crackers as snacks (low-fat and low-salt varieties preferred). When starting from scratch, be realistic and start small – change takes time. Doing something is better than doing nothing at all. W here food is supplied in the workplace (for example, catering in meetings, weekly breakfast/lunch meetings and morning teas), consider providing healthy options such as a fresh fruit and vegetable platter, healthy sandwiches and wraps instead of fried or baked goods. TURNING IDEAS INTO ACTIONS A quick win will help get your health and wellbeing program off and running with minimal cost or resources involved. These highly visible strategies will be useful to engage senior management in your program. E ncourage the use of water bottles in the office and in work vehicles, and consider using water bottles as promotional or marketing items. For more information on healthy eating at work, download the following resource from the attached CD-ROM, or from www.workcover.tas.gov.au/ goodhealthgoodbusiness Section 06A: Healthy eating ON CD-ROM P rovide healthier options in the vending machine. Visit www.eatwelltas.org.au/hover for more information on how to work with your vending machine supplier. A healthy workplace is good for business23 06 TURNING IDEAS INTO ACTIONS TURNING IDEAS INTO ACTIONS Physical activity You can encourage your employees to be more physically active while at work with some quick, low- or no-cost changes. G o for walking meetings (instead of sitting or ‘coffee’ meetings). These work well with a maximum of three people. Encourage and support employees to use active transport options, such as getting off the bus several stops earlier or parking the car further away from work and walking the rest of the way. Offer flexible working hours to provide employees with opportunities for physical activity before work, after work and in lunch breaks. Encourage employees to use the stairs. Promote local, state and national physical activity events, such as Walk to Work Day and Ride to Work Day. For more information on physical activity at work, download the following resource from the attached CD-ROM, or from www.workcover.tas.gov.au/ goodhealthgoodbusiness Section 06B: Physical activity ON CD-ROM 24 TURNING IDEAS INTO ACTIONS SEDENTARY BEHAVIOUR Many occupations have a substantial sedentary component, and research shows it’s good to break up sitting time as much as possible. The following easy ideas will help your employees sit less and move more during their working day. Encourage employees to stand and stretch every time they answer the phone. Incorporate stand-and-stretch breaks into meetings by including them on the agenda. Encourage stop-and-stretch breaks on long drives. For more information on sedentary behaviour at work, download the following resource from the attached CD-ROM, or from www.workcover.tas.gov.au/ goodhealthgoodbusiness Section 06C: Sedentary behaviour Position printers further away from desks. ON CD-ROM A healthy workplace is good for business25 06 TURNING IDEAS INTO ACTIONS TURNING IDEAS INTO ACTIONS SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL WELLBEING Our social and emotional wellbeing can be affected by factors both inside and outside of the workplace. Effectively managing and promoting positive social and emotional wellbeing will bring great benefits to your organisation, through reduced absenteeism and presenteeism. The following ideas may help your employees. P ut up promotional posters (for example, from beyondblue) that encourage open discussion about mental health issues, and where to go for help. S et up an unused office area as a ‘break-out’ room for private phone calls or work needing quiet time. O ffer flexible working arrangements that take into consideration employees’ circumstances outside the workplace (such as child care and family illnesses). If your worksite has an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), promote the use of this through posters and other appropriate communications. Some EAPs also have a Manager Assist program, which can help managers deal with more difficult situations. For more information on social and emotional wellbeing at work, download the following resource from the attached CD-ROM, or from www.workcover.tas.gov.au/ goodhealthgoodbusiness Section 06D: Social and emotional wellbeing ON CD-ROM 26 TURNING IDEAS INTO ACTIONS Smoking The following ideas may help your employees quit smoking or cut down their rate of smoking. Provide information to employees on smoking cessation and the benefits of quitting. Alcohol AND OTHER DRUGS The following strategies may encourage responsible use of alcohol among your employees. If a worksite has a designated smoking area, make it as far away from the main work area as possible. This minimises exposure to environmental tobacco smoke for non-smokers, and also encourages users to walk further. This may even discourage some users from smoking, causing them to reduce smoking while at work. If alcohol is provided at a work function, always provide water as a substitute. Always serve healthy food if serving alcohol. S upport your employees to quit smoking by offering time off to see their doctor about quitting. Display information on the effects of illicit and prescription drugs. For more information on smoking at work, download the following resource from the attached CD-ROM, or from www.workcover.tas.gov.au/ goodhealthgoodbusiness Section 06E: Smoking A t work functions, provide safe alternative transport as an option. Display information on safe alcohol consumption guidelines. For more information on alcohol and other drugs at work, download the following resource from the attached CD-ROM, or from www.workcover.tas.gov.au/ goodhealthgoodbusiness Section 06F: Alcohol and other drugs ON CD-ROM ON CD-ROM A healthy workplace is good for business27 For more information and examples of how other Tasmanian workplaces have implemented their health and wellbeing programs, download the following resource from the attached CD-ROM, or from www.workcover.tas.gov.au/goodhealthgoodbusiness ON CD-ROM Section 07: What’s everyone else doing? 07 Where to go for more information For a complete list of organisations that may be of assistance, visit www.workcover.tas.gov.au/ goodhealthgoodbusiness www Fact sheet: Wellbeing resources list (PDF file) beyondblue www.beyondblue.org.au beyondblue has a National Workplace Program which offers a range of mental health consultancy, health promotion and education services, addressing a wide variety of industry types and employee roles. It also has a range of downloadable resources on mental health issues, including depression and anxiety. Quit Tasmania www.quittas.org.au Quit Tasmania has a large collection of information and resources on quitting smoking, which can be downloaded from the website or sent out on request. Diabetes Tasmania www.diabetestas.com.au Diabetes Tasmania has workplace health and wellbeing education and resource packages available to Tasmanian workplaces with employees that fall within the target group (medium to large companies, 25-60 year olds). Heart Foundation www.heartfoundation.org.au The Heart Foundation has a wide range of publications and brochures on topics such as physical activity, healthy eating and heart health. It also has specific information and resources on workplace wellness, including Healthy Catering Guidelines, the Heartmoves program and community-based and workplace-based walking programs. E at Well Tasmania www.eatwelltas.org.au Eat Well Tasmania has a number of resources, including: –Eating Well at Work: A Guide for Employers –Eating Well at Work: A Guide for Employees –Healthy Events Tasmania: A Guide for Event Organisers –Go for 2&5 resources (for display in lunch rooms, etc). Where to go for more information In addition to the resources listed in this booklet and available on the WorkCover website, there are a number of organisations that have printed and downloadable resources that may also be of use. Don’t waste time duplicating activities and resources that already exist. B usiness in Mind www.businessinmind.edu.au Business in Mind is a free DVD and resource kit designed to help small and medium businesses look after the mental health and wellbeing of employees. It is available to managers who register for the Business in Mind research project, and is available for sole traders, or employers of up to 200 staff. A healthy workplace is good for business29 08 Other health, safety and wellbeing initiatives Other health, safety and wellbeing initiatives WorkSafe Tasmania Awards The WorkSafe Tasmania Awards are given in October each year, to coincide with WorkSafe Tasmania month. You might consider entering your program in the ‘Best workplace health and wellbeing program’ category. For more information, visit www.worksafe.tas.gov.au Employer of Choice The Department of Economic Development’s Employer of Choice initiative recognises and promotes Tasmanian organisations that successfully attract and retain skilled employees. For more information, visit www.development.tas.gov.au and search for ‘employer of choice’. Health and Safety Advisory Service WorkCover Tasmania operates a Health and Safety Advisory Service that provides practical guidance on workplace safety, and can help you comply with the work health and safety laws. To request a free visit by an advisor to your workplace, call 1300 776 572, or visit www.workcover.tas.gov.au Going smoke-free: Your workplace kit The Department of Health and Human Services has developed a kit specifically for workplaces, to help them create a smoke-free workplace, or help their employees to quit smoking. For more information, visit www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/peh/smoke-free_workplace GET HEALTHY INFORMATION AND COACHING SERVICE© This is a free and confidential telephone-based service that supports people to make sustainable changes relating to healthy eating, physical activity, and achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. For more information, phone 1300 806 258 or visit www.gethealthy.tas.gov.au 30 For answers to frequently asked questions, download the following resource from the attached CD-ROM, or from www.workcover.tas.gov.au/goodhealthgoodbusiness ON CD-ROM Section 08: Frequently asked questions 09 REFERENCES REFERENCES 1. Health and Productivity Institute of Australia 2010, Best Practice Guidelines – Workplace Health in Australia, available from www.hapia.org.au 2. Medibank Private 2005, The health of Australia’s workforce, Medibank Private, Australia. 3. Sims, J, Right Management 2010, Wellness and Productivity Management. Presentation to the Health and Productivity Management Congress 2010, available from www.hapia.com.au 4. Wright, TA, Cropanzano, R, Denny, PJ & Loline, GL 2002, ‘When a happy worker is a productive worker: A preliminary examination of three models’, Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, vol. 34, pp. 146-150. 5. ComCare, Putting you first. Benefits to business: the evidence for investing in worker health and wellbeing, Australian Government, available from www.comcare.gov.au/__data/assets/rtf_ file/0006/99348/01410_WH_and_S_Benefits_to_business_v1.rtf 6. Bellew, B 2008, Primary prevention of chronic disease in Australia through interventions in the workplace setting: a rapid review, Sax Institute for the Chronic Disease Prevention Unit, Department of Human Services, Victoria. 7. Main, C, Glozier, N & Wright, I 2005, ‘Validity of the HSE stress tool: an investigation within four organizations by the Corporate Health and Performance Group’, Occupational Medicine, vol. 55, pp. 208-214. 8. Australian Safety and Compensation Council 2009, The cost of work-related injury and illness for Australian employers, workers and the community: 2005-2006, Australian Safety and Compensation Council, Canberra. 9. Musich, S, Hook, D, Baaner, S & Edington, DW 2006, ‘The association of two productivity measures with health risks and medical conditions in an Australian employee population’, American Journal of Health Promotion, vol. 20, no 5, pp. 353-63. 10. Wesley Corporate Health Pty Ltd 2006, The future@work health report: employees and their workplace, Australia. 32 This CD-ROM contains further information, tools and resources to assist you in creating a workplace health and wellbeing program for your organisation. If the CD is missing, or you would like to order a replacement, please contact WorkCover Tasmania's Workplace Health and Wellbeing Advisory Service on 1300 776 572, or email [email protected] A healthy workplace is good for business 1300 776 572 www.workcover.tas.gov.au For more information contact WorkCover Tasmania Phone: 1300 776 572 (within Tasmania) (03) 6233 5343 (outside Tasmania) Fax: (03) 6233 8338 Email:[email protected] ISBN: 978 1 876712 05 1 121655 GB304 March 2013