The business benefits of health, not just safety

By Karen Lea, managing director, ATG Health & Safety Consultants

Over the last 40 years the UK has seen a long term downward trend in workplace fatalities and nonfatal injuries. But there’s a belief that a predominant focus on ‘safety’ has seen ‘health’ getting considerably less attention.

Most employers are all too familiar with the need to ensure a safe workplace. But what about health and wellbeing?

It’s not only a fall that may seriously injure or kill someone in the workplace – it can be a hideous working environment or a stressful workload; job insecurity; a bullying culture or even a sexist boss.

It’s estimated that around half a million workers suffer from work-related stress, depression or anxiety, costing almost 26 million lost working days.

Addressing the issues surrounding workers’ health and wellbeing isn’t complex – and the benefits to the organisation are measurable. Those that positively manage and support mental wellbeing see real benefits, with staff performing to their true potential and the business achieving peak performance. Smart employers know that their organisation’s success depends on having a healthy and productive workforce.

Evidence is emerging of a growing trend to embrace this subject – to actively encourage meaningful employee engagement is about recognising that workers, if they are to perform at their best, must be well managed, feel valued and involved, be heard and respected.

Promoting good mental health at work is a key part of being a responsible employer. We have a workshop running on the 22nd May where we’ll be looking in detail at managing work related ill health and how to create a resilient culture.