Wellbeing: 10 steps to a healthier workplace
04/03/05
Employers who encourage employees to eat well, take exercise and keep fit can reap the
benefits of improved productivity. Sally Flood looks at 10 effective steps any organisation can
take.
A typical morning for employees around the UK might include a train journey into the office,
followed by a restorative cappuccino and bacon roll from the local cafe. Breakfast finished,
they take the lift to their desk, slump over their computer and wait for the caffeine to kick in.
However, a growing number of companies are realising that encouraging their employees to
be active and healthy has important benefits. Research conducted by health consultancy
Vielife found that organisations offering health promotion programmes reduced absenteeism
in unhealthy employees by as much as 23%, with a corresponding increase in productivity of
3.2 hours per employee, per month.
Unsurprisingly, there can be a difference between the output of a healthy worker and an
unhealthy one. However, the figures can be pretty significant - up to seven hours per week,
according to the Health Enhancement Research Organisation (HERO). It also suggests that
a quarter of healthcare costs are incurred as a result of manageable elements such as
stress, lifestyle and alcohol. For any company investing in health and wellbeing programmes
the ROI is impressive: for every £100 spent, it gains between £300 and £500 in improved
productivity.
It's difficult to calculate from this data the impact of a single initiative - just what is the precise
ROI from a fruit basket? Yet employers must realise that prevention is better than cure. A
health strategy has to make business sense, but within it there is scope for specific
initiatives.
These need not cost a lot. The following 10 steps could lead to healthy returns for your staff
and your business.
1. Take the cycle route
Many people like the idea of avoiding public transport and cycling to work. But sometime
they just need a little push to get on their bikes.
The Government's Green Transport Plan was set up to provide that extra impetus. Similar to
the Home Computing Initiative, it aims to encourage companies to offer employee loans to
buy a bicycle. As repayment, a sum is then regularly deducted from the employee's total
salary before tax and NI contributions - meaning the value of the loan is tax and NI-free.
Companies don't even have to administer the scheme themselves. Booost is one firm that
helps them take advantage of the tax exemptions, making its money through its links with
bicycle manufacturers.
One company that has seen the advantage of such an initiative is Total UK. The energy
group's Watford-based refining and marketing subsidiary launched Total Pedal Power to
keep employees healthy and the local environment clean at the same time.
Another organisation keen to get staff on their bikes is Berkshire-based computer company
Sophos. But it is the bikes that the company loans to employees rather than the money - and
then only on a temporary basis: they are given the chance to use a pool of 20 bicycles during
breaks.
Because the company is based on an out-of-town campus, they are useful for getting to
shops, dentists and doctors in the local town centre. 'The idea is to enable people to run
those sorts of errands without having to take their car,' explains says Ken Paul, UK HR
manager.
Cost: providing 20 cycles plus storage and maintenance - around £3,500 per year
2. Clean up with showers
Installing showers in the workplace might seem unusual but if staff know that they can wash
the grime off when they arrive at the office they might be encouraged to run or cycle to work
rather than take public transport or get stuck in a traffic jam in their car.
At the London base of consulting company Deloitte, showers are offered to employees as
part of a 'health pod', designed to support workplace health. In the 'pod' building, so-called
because of its oval shape, employees have access to all sorts of 'new-age' types of
treatment, including massage and aromatherapy. The showers are an enormous benefit for
workers who choose to cycle to the office rather than rely on the Tube.
Text 100, a marketing group based in West London, is another company that has seen the
value in installing showers, particularly since it also encourages employees to run or cycle to
the office. The benefit of providing this kind of facility isn't easily measured, admits Gavin
Loader, a director of the company, but he expects better health to create a positive effect on
staff morale and productivity.
It is important, however, that corporate showers aren't just squeezed into any old corner. If
you're going to install them, they have to be properly fitted, with cubicles for people to
change in private, and lockers where they can store their belongings.
Cost: providing showers, cubicles and lockers - £5,000-£10,000
3. Rethink your office design
Sophos's healthy attitude isn't confined to supplying bikes. The grounds around its £32million, purpose-built offices have been carefully landscaped to encourage employees to
spend breaks outside. Inside, the desks and chairs have been designed to eliminate the risks
of RSI and back strain.
Even in older buildings, it's possible to encourage a healthy environment.
Pharmaceutical firm Boehringer Ingelheim conducts annual ergonomics checks that offer
advice on desks, monitors - and even vehicles. 'We advise people on which cars have seats
that offer support and encourage good posture,' explains protection and safety officer Peter
Stacey.
Cost: highly variable - from £10 for natural daylight light bulbs to millions for customdesigned office
4. Offer access to a gym
Corporate gym membership is one of the most popular healthcare perks currently available,
with subsidised membership for employees particularly common.
Administering such a scheme is simple, and provides young or lower-paid employees with
access to a service they might not otherwise be able to afford, says Anthony Wilson,
managing partner of Hotwire, a public relations agency based in London.
There is no shortage of facilities to choose from but cost is a big deterrent for individuals.
'We have a lot of young employees and paying £70 a month for a gym, which is the norm in
London, is out of the question for them,' he says. 'By reducing the cost, we are making it
possible for them to use top-notch facilities that are conveniently located and which their
colleagues are also likely to attend.' Some large companies have gone a step further and
invested in their own company gyms inside the premises. News agency Reuters, for
example, has created a gym and games area at its head office, complete with workout
equipment, pool table and showers. The development has helped to make the company's
move into new offices more attractive, and has contributed to a reduction in sickness and
absenteeism rates from 13% to 3%, claims Martin Yates, Reuters' customer services
director.
Cost: subsidising gym membership for one year - approximately £300 per employee, per
year, perhaps more in major cities
5. Provide flu jabs to employees
The National Health Service estimates that more than 150 million working days are lost in
the UK because of flu-related illnesses. Yet despite the effect this has on productivity, only
10% of UK workers are vaccinated against flu each winter.
Bicester-based Brita Water decided to take action to deal with this problem and now offers
employees flu jabs as part of a package of health and wellbeing benefits, to help reduce the
levels of absence during the winter months.
Every October, a nurse visits the company's offices and provides free jabs to any of the
company's employees who request them.
'More than half of the workforce take up the offer - it's one of our most popular benefits,' says
Judie Miskimmin, Brita's HR manager. 'If we can prevent people getting ill in the first place,
then it's good news for the employee and for the company.' Providing a flu vaccination can
have another important side effect. Miskimmin believes that offering health checks and
services is an important way of creating employee loyalty.
And bosses can see its effect on the bottom line. According to health services consultancy
Sona, staff in companies offering such flu jabs are taking up to 43% fewer sick days.
Cost: providing vaccine and nurse - approximately £16 per employee
6. Offer cash incentives
The problem with subsidised gym memberships is that, however good the deal might be,
some people just hate going to the gym. To overcome this problem, consider offering staff a
bonus that they can put towards whatever healthy activity they choose.
This is the approach taken at Hotwire, where every employee receives an annual allowance
of £300. 'Lots of people do use it for a corporate gym membership, but other people have
bought rollerblades, weekends at a spa, or joined BUPA,' says Wilson.
Employees must have their prospective purchase approved in advance, and are then
reimbursed through the company's expenses system. Hotwire takes care of the added tax
burden, because the allowance is considered a benefit in kind.
Take-up is virtually 100%, and Wilson believes that the company has benefited enormously
from this initiative. 'We have young employees and it's nice to offer them something they will
find fun,' he adds.
Cost: most schemes currently offer employees between £100 and £300 per year
7. Set up a sports team
One method of reaching that percentage of employees who have a gym phobia could also
help boost team-building. Setting up company sports teams and leagues is a relatively
inexpensive way to encourage workers to take part in a sport and also has the advantage of
providing them with a fun, social activity at the same time.
At retailer John Lewis employees are encouraged to set up their own sports teams as part of
a £2 million annual sports, health and leisure budget.
Each store has its own social events manager who is responsible for co-ordinating activities
that staff will enjoy. This has resulted in a range of corporate sporting teams including skiing,
gliding and fly-fishing.
The aim is to help staff make the most of their leisure time and get to know their colleagues
better - especially if the activity involves something that staff would find difficult to pursue by
themselves, says Elaine Taylor, social events manager at John Lewis.
'We don't just back things that have a mass appeal. Most of all we aim to make something
that is difficult or expensive more accessible, especially if it also has the effect of drawing
people from different departments together.'
All that is required to set up a new team is for seven or more people to apply to their social
events manager for funding and support for a club. Examples of clubs created in 2004
include a surfing and canoe team at Bristol, and a national skiing group with teams for each
region.
Not all companies can afford team sports opportunities on the scale offered by John Lewis,
however. But there are other activities that require little or no equipment. Team running has
proved popular with staff at web service provider Zen Internet, for example. Not only is it a
good form of exercise, it also gives them the chance to do their bit for charities by taking part
in marathons.
Cost: £50 per employee for a team uniform, plus an average of £25 for pitch or court hire
fees
8. Put thought into food
There's little point in making the effort to encourage workers to be more active and healthy if
the only snack options available to them are a vending machine filled with chocolate, crisps
and fizzy drinks. Replacing them with water fountains, herbal teas and fresh fruit needn't cost
any more, and companies will be rewarded with higher energy levels.
Sophos employees are offered a range of healthy snacks and drinks and the day begins with
a free breakfast for anyone that wants it, including fruit, yoghurt and muesli. Then at around
10am, the local branch of Waitrose delivers baskets of fresh fruit to kitchens on each floor of
the office, which again are also free for employees.
The company's founders made a conscious decision to promote healthy eating, says Paul.
'We are in an industry where people tend to work long hours and we're notorious for eating
junk food and drinking too much caffeine,' he explains. 'We can't force staff to take the
healthy option, but we can make it as easy and attractive as possible.' Cost: £100 per
employee per year
9. Help staff to quit smoking
Smoking is the single biggest cause of ill health in the UK, and most employers now provide
a smoke-free working environment. However, some companies have taken this a step further
and are actively encouraging staff to quit smoking altogether.
Bosses can play a critical role in helping employees succeed. Anti-smoking charity Smoke
Free Families advises businesses to offer smokers support in the form of smoke-free
premises, access to health services and advice, and to subsidise the cost of quitting aids,
such as nicotine gum and patches.
Hotel group Ramada Davis recently introduced a complete smoking ban across all its
properties, including break areas and staff rooms. The policy was announced after a survey
revealed that 75% of employees in the industry saw non-smoking companies as more
attractive employers.
Cutting the rate of smoking among employees benefits companies by reducing absence and
increasing productivity (no more cigarette breaks). Additional advantages may include lower
fire and health insurance premiums. Smoke Free Families also argues that non-smokers are
less likely to take time off to care for sick children, since children of non-smokers have fewer
coughs, colds and ear infections.
Cost: providing employees with access to subsidised 'quit smoking' products and counselling
- from £6 per smoker, per year
10. Arrange and pay for eye tests
Over 100 people begin to lose their sight in the UK every day. Left unchecked, diminished
sight can cause headaches as well as neck and back problems from straining to see their
computer screens. In the case of employees who use machinery or drive in the course of
their work, it may even result in serious accidents.
Every company in the UK is obliged to provide eye tests to employees who regularly use
computers. Following the eye test, the company is also required to pay for a standard pair of
glasses or lenses if they are required solely for computer use.
However, some are going further, offering eye tests to all employees, whether they use
computers or not, and contributing to the cost of designer eyewear. For example, Boehringer
Ingelheim offers this benefit to company drivers and sales reps as well as office-based
employees.
The company, which is based in Reading and employs 900 people, believes that the
potential risks of poor eyesight far outweigh the cost of the service. 'We provide everyone
with a £25 voucher towards an eye test, which they can use at any opticians,' explains
Stacey. 'If they need glasses for whatever reason, we will then pay for a basic pair, or
contribute towards a more expensive product.' The entire system is run by an external
agency, Accor Services, which prints the vouchers and signs up independent and national
chains of opticians to provide tests. Boehringer simply pays for vouchers at face value.
Cost: £25 per employee per eye test, plus approximately £40 for a basic pair of spectacles or
lenses
AN AWARD FOR HEALTH-CONSCIOUS EMPLOYERS
With people spending such a large chunk of their lives at work, it's no surprise that the
Government's recently published white paper on public health - promising support and
information to help people improve their lifestyles - should include a section promoting health
in the workplace. This magazine believes that the chapter was a missed opportunity and will
be publishing the results of a survey in the months ahead.
Whatever the Government says, employers have recognised the benefits of investing in staff
education and development, which is why Investors in People (IiP) has been so successful.
In order to encourage employers, a new award, Investors in Health, will be given to those
that promote healthy lifestyles in the workplace. They will get accreditation for initiatives that
include promoting active living, encouraging employees to stop smoking, conducting health
self-assessments and introducing measures that promote emotional and mental health.
Investors in People says that the new standard will be similar to the existing IiP models for
leadership and management, and recruitment and selection.
According to IiP, elements of its model may be introduced into the new standard when it is
revised in 2007. However, it is all very much in its early stages of development, and further
details won't be revealed until later in the year.
Human Resources 04/03/05