By Joanna Weekes

Workplace health promotion (or wellbeing) programs can be a very effective way for you to cultivate a healthy mindset and lifestyle in your workers, both within and outside the workplace.

The reason this is important is that the choices your workers make outside the workplace can affect their health and safety inside the workplace, the place where you have an obligation for that person’s wellbeing.

Examples of topics that your workplace health promotion program may cover include:

• physical activity/inactivity;
• healthy eating/diet;
• tobacco smoking;
• alcohol and other drug misuse;
• emotional wellbeing;
• dental health;
• mental wellbeing;
• safe social environments/behaviours;
• UV protection; and
• sexual health and wellbeing.

The needs and nature of your business will affect what your health promotion program will involve, and how much time and resources your business puts into them.

What are the advantages of workplace health promotion programs?

Health promotion programs involve educating your workers about ways they can go about adopting healthier lifestyles for themselves.

There are many ways that your business can benefit from having an effective health promotion program in place, including:

• increase in worker productivity;
• demonstration of company commitment to workers’ health and safety;
• decrease in workers’ compensation claims;
• reduction in absenteeism;
• reduced long-term health problems in workers;
• reduced turnover;
• reduction in health and safety risk of injury and illness;
• increase in worker motivation and job satisfaction;
• improved alertness and concentration on the job; and
• attractive to candidates for employment.

The key is to identify the needs of your workplace and tailor a program to suit those needs. For example, if you control a workplace where your workers are sedentary for long periods of time, you may look at physical activity and teach your workers ways to reduce the risks associated with sedentary work.

Happy body and happy mind makes a happy worker!

And one more thing today, I’ve got a special offer for you on a new Portner Press publication – let me tell you about it…

Next week I will provide some examples of what a health promotion program may include so keep a look out for that.