New guidance on promoting health at work
September 2nd 2008

In recent years the Government have been encouraging employers to promote healthy lifestyles through the workplace and some employers have now started introducing policies aimed at encouraging their workforce to exercise or eat healthily.

Workplaces are not always that healthy a place to be. Every year there are over a quarter of a million reportable injuries and over 600,000 new cases of people suffering from a work related illness. Over half a million people report suffering from job-related stress, depression and anxiety, while 3.3 million people are working more than 48 hours a week. Work also leads to other health problems. These is a strong link between stress and the use of tobacco, recreational drugs and alcohol, while working sitting down all day, or having only access to junk food during a 20 minute lunch break can lead to obesity.

Healthy working has to start with how we work. Unions know that the most effective way of promoting health at work is prevention, which is why we try to ensure that workers are protected from being made ill through overwork, stress, exposure to dangerous chemicals and unsafe working practices.

Unions have also been involved in initiatives aimed at changing the way we work. Work can be organised to promote positive health through avoiding working arrangements which mean a person is inactive for long periods of time, or that a person is exposed to adverse levels of stress. Work-life balance policies are also an important contribution towards encouraging a healthier lifestyle.

Unfortunately many employers believe that, rather than remove stress in the work, they should introduce on-site massage or after-work yoga classes, despite there being evidence that they do nothing to prevent people developing stress related illnesses. Nor will providing fresh fruit help employees who cannot even take a lunch break, and a gym in the basement is of no use to those who work late every evening.

There is a lot that an employer can do to assist in the promotion of good health through introducing measures such as these listed below, but if the employer is going to be involved in lifestyle issues then they should do it in partnership with the workforce and their unions rather than on behalf of the workforce. There have been a number of instances where attempts to introduce 'healthy eating options' while at the same time removing traditional food, has led to considerable resistance from workers who do not take kindly to their employer telling them what they can and cannot eat. Instead employers must make sure that they consult with the workforce, through their union, There should also always be an element of choice rather than compulsion.

Safety representatives also have to resist attempts by employers to introduce moral elements to lifestyle issues. For example, there is a difference between an employer positively attempting to introduce choices and working methods that will help those people who chose to seek to control their weight, and an employer who sees it as their duty to make sure that anyone with an above-average body weight loses weight by creating a working environment where over-weight people feel stigmatised.

Likewise, drug and alcohol issues are a concern when they affect the performance of a person in the workplace or put at risk the safety of workers or the public. Good employers will also wish to assist any employees who have an addiction problem that is affecting them or their work. However that is a very different matter from the employer seeking to prevent drug or alcohol use outside the office if it has no bearing on the persons work.

The workplace can, like any other environment, be a useful place to encourage people to make healthy choices, but it must be done in a non-judgemental way that creates the opportunities for people to make healthier choices should they so chose, rather than forcing them to adopt a particular lifestyle that has no bearing on their employment.

And workers who eat well and are physically active are healthier and, usually, feel better. There is evidence that people who take more exercise and eat better will be less likely to take time off sick. In addition increased exercise can help prevent or manage over 20 different conditions from diabetes to heart disease. The biggest lifestyle gains can be made through reducing stress, long hours and introducing policies that promote 'work-life balance', but there are also other steps that employers can take to help support workers who want to live a healthier lifestyle.

What can employers do?

• Putting on exercise classes at lunchtime

There are a wide variety of classes to choose from that are aimed at improving peoples strength, flexibility or cardiovascular fitness. These range from circuit training, through jazz dance, pilates and yoga to step classes. If taught properly these have the benefit of being able to involve a variety of people across the age range and from both sexes. Make sure they are taught by a qualified instructor and that there is sufficient space. However it is also important that people have time to have something to eat after the class rather than having to rush back to work.

• Provide access to a gym

This can either be a gym on the employers premises which is available to staff or negotiating an agreement with a local fitness centre so that employees get a reduced rate. This has the benefit that people can go at a time that suits them. Morning, lunchtime or after work. If the employer provides a gym on its premises it will have to ensure that the equipment is properly maintained, and that instruction is available so that people know how to use the equipment effectively and safely. If they have an arrangement with an outside fitness centre then the subsidy they pay is likely to be taxable.

• Cycling

This is a good exercise for the heart and lungs, and it actually does not rain in Britain as many days as people seem to think. Employers can help by providing safe provision for cycle parking. The government has a scheme called 'cycle to work' that allows employers to sign up to a scheme that means that their employees can get a bike and accessories at discounts of around 40%. On the down side, although cycling is great exercise, riding a bike in heavy traffic can be a scary and dangerous experience so employers can distribute maps of local cycle routes. Many local authorities and cycling organisations produce these.

• Sponsorship of sports and social activities

Employers can support and help finance a range of activities such as competitive sports, swimming clubs. They can also provide equipment or allow their premises or grounds to be used for training. They can also support staff involvement in sponsored events such as cycle runs or 'fun-runs' by providing sponsorship or time off. They should also consider sponsorship and time off for any employees who are involved in competitive events outside work such as amateur athletics, martial arts competitions or other sporting meets. Employers can also be asked to provide more flexible working to those who are training at competitive level.

• Provision of showers

One of the biggest factors preventing people cycling or running to work, or exercising at lunchtime is if there are no provisions for showering. Simply providing facilities to shower can make a major difference to people's ability to exercise.

• Healthy Eating

Far less employers provide canteen facilities than in the past. This is partly to do with the fact that we have less large employers, but it is also because many employers fail to see the benefits of providing workers with good wholesome food and encouraging then to eat together rather than at their desks or a local park. As a result far more people are eating fast or junk food at lunchtime. Also people are now taking, on average far less of a break at lunchtime. Both these factors can harm people's health and employers can do a lot to encourage healthy eating. This can include providing a range of good wholesome food in a subsidised canteen, failing that they can provide a separate area for people to take their rest breaks or eat meals (this is actually a requirement under the Workplace Regulations), and if there are no canteen facilities they can provide access to a microwave and other preparation facilities. Even small initiatives like having a regular supply of free fruit can encourage people to swap the chocolate bar for the apple.

• Health screening

Providing access to annual health screening can be a very useful way of ensuring people are aware of any potential health problems and are given advice on how to reduce the risk. Testing the heart, lung function and weight of people can be important factors in encouraging them to exercise, stop smoking or exercise. Health screening also needs to be linked to prevention programmes to ensure that any ill-health that may be linked to work is investigated and risks removed. There are a lot of consultants who offer very comprehensive health screening programmes. Many of these are very good and can be geared towards the type of workforce and the hazards they face. For instance the screening programme for a construction worker would probably be different for that of a call centre. However, as with any consultants it is important that employers make sure that the programme fits their needs, is comprehensive and does not include unnecessary or obtrusive tests.

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