Minister for Health Leo Varadkar has announced a major new workplace wellness initiative which will introduce a number of compulsory elements in the public sector and be encouraged as a voluntary initiative within private businesses.
The public service employs almost 290,000 people across the country, representing 15% of the total workforce. The initiative will cover a number of areas from exercise to travel to and from work, healthy eating in the workplace, smoking cessation programmes and mental wellness programmes.
“It’s well established that a healthy workforce is a happier one with low levels of sick leave and greater productivity,” said Minister Varadkar.
“So this approach makes pure business sense too for the public and private sectors. We are putting this on a statutory basis to send a clear message that we mean business in improving the nation’s health.”
“A similar approach was taken with health and safety statements years ago which have helped to reduce dramatically the rates of workplace injuries and deaths.”
The proposed Health and Wellbeing (Workplace Wellbeing) Bill has been signed off at Cabinet recently and will require public service employers to develop a ‘healthy workplace’ policy to promote the physical, mental and social wellbeing of employees.
Every workplace is different so employers and employees will be able to decide for themselves what initiatives to pursue. They could include:
• Promoting ‘Active Travel’ – switching to smarter ways of travelling to and during work, by foot, by bike, by public transport or through car sharing;
• Setting up walking , running or other activity and exercise groups;
• Healthy eating options in staff canteens – making the ‘healthy choice the easy choice’;
• Smoking cessation programmes and making campuses smoke free zones;
• Supporting positive mental health and wellbeing by encouraging employees to deal with stress, personal difficulties and to seek help when necessary.
“The Irish Health Service spends billions each year on promoting, protecting and restoring people’s health and wellbeing. All of this funding is essential but we could target it so much more effectively by keeping people healthy, happy and out of hospital,” added Varadkar.
“There is a big role for the private sector here as well. Many private companies have led the way with their own workplace policies on car sharing or fitness clubs. We want to learn from them about what has worked. There will also be opportunities for companies which haven’t developed their own policies just yet. That’s why we are setting up new ways to engage with both public and private sector employers to promote healthy workplaces.”
“The World Health Organisation says that workplace health programmes are one of the best ways to prevent lifestyle diseases, and improve mental health. Any costs associated with the measure should be minimal and will be recouped many times over by the benefits of a healthier workforce.”
In September 2015 Sport for Business will launch the GloHealth Sport for Business Championship to take place in the spring of 2016. It will offer companies and organisations the opportunity to develop mixed sporting teams to compete against their peers over a range of sports and venues around Dublin.
