A recent article by the British Chambers of Commerce (“Call for employers to take staff health more seriously”) emphasises the importance of looking after your staff. Referring to a study carried out by the British Heart Foundation, the article points out how many staff are failing to look after their own health. Spending too much time at their desks and getting minimal amounts of exercise.
Unhealthy living necessarily leads to unwanted sick-leave which in turn means excessive costs to the businesses concerned. The study therefore puts forward the concept that employers and small businesses should be investing effort and finance into encouraging staff to improve their lives with healthy diets, exercise and attitudes.
In a previous article (“Tackling Illness In The Workplace With Government Support”) I discussed how the Government is working to support small businesses with the use of the Health For Work Adviceline, this new guidance is a step further – actively encouraging employers to tackle staff health and fitness before it becomes a problem.
Supporting Staff Health At Work
How a business should deal with the problem will obviously vary. For small businesses it will likely be impossible to fund a company gym that you might find at a larger corporation, but there’s no reason why a weekly football game couldn’t be organised. Perhaps something as simple as supplying fresh fruit to help staff with their 5-a-day might also help reduce staff sickness levels. Whatever your method, it’s important to look after your staff, so they can look after your business.
If you’re looking for tips, the British Heart Foundation has a “Health at Work” section on their website with guidance and tips on ways to support your employees in the workplace.
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