Ref: NHS
Date: 06/07/2010

NHS Wakefield District and Wakefield Council have joined forces to launch Wakefield Together’s Healthy Business Award to recognise local businesses looking after the health and well-being of their workforce.

Creating a healthy workforce can make a big difference.  It can help reduce absence and costs linked to this, increase productivity at work and enhance the company’s reputation with staff, customers and the wider community.  For staff it can help them to lead a healthier lifestyle, improve their morale and reduce workplace injuries amongst other things.

The annual economic costs of sickness absence and worklessness associated with working age ill-health is estimated at over £100 billion.  The average cost of absence per employee in the UK is estimated at £692 per year and on average there are 7.4 days lost per employee per year to sickness absence.

NHS Wakefield District’s Director of Public Health, Dr Andrew Furber said:  “If you run a local business in the district, large or small and you’ve made positive steps or would like help to improve the health of your staff and reduce the environmental impact of your company, we’d encourage you to enter the awards.  They provide a great opportunity for businesses to demonstrate how they are caring for their workforce and to gain recognition for their achievements.”

The awards are being co-ordinated by the Council’s Environmental Health team and Royds Community Organisation who run NHS Wakefield District’s Health Means Business programme aimed at improving health in the workplace. 

They will look at six key areas:

• Enabling staff to be more physically active;
• Looking after the mental health of your staff;
• Promoting healthy eating;
• Considering the environmental impact of your business;
• Encouraging best practice in health and safety; and
• Support for staff who want to stop smoking.

The Awards team will provide guidance and support for companies wanting to take part, as Business Support Manager, Lisa Burnett explains:  “We’ll work with organisations and their employees free of charge to develop an action plan that will help them put in small but meaningful changes to improve their health, well-being and environmental performance.  All businesses successfully completing the action plan will receive a certificate in recognition of their achievements and an invite to the awards ceremony in March 2011.  Those businesses who have demonstrated the most commitment and innovation will be recognised at the event.”

Wakefield Council Cabinet Member for Adults and Health Cllr Maureen Cummings stated: ‘This initiative is an ideal opportunity to recognise the value businesses place on staff.   We all know that the key to an effective workforce is to help ensure they are supported in the best way possible.    These awards will clearly showcase the business leaders already doing this’.

For more information and an informal chat about the Healthy Business Award please contact Lisa Burnett from the Awards Team on 01274 355614.

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