- New poll finds 68% UK adults think occupational health is important but just 10% believe some current workplace health & wellbeing services important
- Ill health cost £10.6 billion to UK businesses in 2018-19, with 1.7 million suffering work-related health conditions in 2020-21
- Business leaders urged to be more strategic and seek occupational health expertise
Businesses must urgently shift away from a reactive “DIY” culture when it comes to workplace health and seek expert occupational health guidance to avoid wasting time and resources, according to a new survey.
A YouGov survey launched during Occupational Health Awareness Week (19-24 June 2022) found only a fraction of UK adults believe the health and wellness measures many businesses currently choose for employees are important, which experts believe is likely due to employers mismatching health and wellbeing services to employee needs and not sourcing relevant or appropriate service providers.
68% of survey respondents said that occupational health is important and 67% reported that they do or would find occupational health services in the workplace useful, but only a fraction thought that specific interventions were important. Access to health and wellbeing advice (11%) and counselling services (10%) rated low in importance for employee health among those surveyed, suggesting that businesses urgently need professional occupational health guidance to better meet employee needs and to source specialist service providers.
In the UK, companies often source their own health and wellbeing programmes without an occupational health strategy or the input of an occupational health practitioner. In April, CIPD’s Health and Wellbeing at Work report found that 87% of organisations offer employee health and wellbeing services but only 50% have a strategy, with 46% declaring that they do not have a formal plan and act on an ad-hoc basis.
Launching the YouGov survey, experts at the Society of Occupational Medicine (SOM) and Commercial Occupational Health Providers Association (COHPA) warned that companies who provide occupational health programmes without professional advice may be wasting time and resources.
Dr Jayne Moore, President, Society of Occupational Medicine (SOM) said:
“From reducing absences to improving business performance, we have clear evidence that occupational health services make a significant difference. Looking at the survey results, it’s clear that employers are not making the most of occupational health expertise and are failing to provide what employees actually want and need.
“A reactive DIY approach to occupational health, which we know is prevalent among businesses in the UK, is wasteful and ineffective. Companies of all sizes should use professional occupational health guidance to develop a clear workplace health strategy in the boardroom and steer how they invest in employee health services.”
According to HSE statistics from 2020-21, 1.7 million workers were suffering from new or long-standing work-related health conditions, with 800,000 of these being work-related mental health issues and 500,000 being musculoskeletal disorders.
Pre-Covid-19 (2018-19) HSE statistics showed that workplace-related illnesses cost £10.6 billion to the UK, while injury cost £5.6 billion in the same period. In April 2022, Deloitte found that poor mental health costs UK employers up to £56 billion a year.
Alan Ballard, Chair of the Commercial Occupational Health Providers Association (COHPA) said:
“From mental health to menopause, occupational health doctors and nurses have a wealth of experience and specialist knowledge that is currently underutilised by much of the private sector.
“Many business leaders feel like they are fire-fighting health issues as they arise, so bringing in an occupational health expert to assist with a more strategic and proactive approach will take that constant pressure out of their hands.
“Companies that take on a bespoke health and wellbeing strategy in collaboration with an occupational health provider will see improved employee health and a better bottom line.”
The YouGov survey also demonstrated that employees want workplace health to be led from the top. Key factors for employee health were work-life balance (76%), good management and leadership (66%), and good workplace culture (58%).
Lord David Blunkett, Patron of the Society of Occupational Medicine, remarked:
“It is encouraging that an increasing number of companies are investing in workplace health and wellbeing services, but employers need to ensure that their occupational health offering is effective and meaningful.
“By seeking professional guidance from an occupational health expert, business leaders can adopt a more strategic and impactful approach to improving employee health, and maintain reliability and ability to stay in the job.”
ENDS
EDITORS NOTES
References/External Links
- CIPD Health and Wellbeing at Work Survey – April 2022
- HSE Annual work-related ill-health statistics – 2020-21
- HSE Cost of work-related ill health and injury – 2018-19
- Occupational Health Value Proposition – 2017
- Deloitte – 2022
About OHAW
- For more information on Occupational Health Awareness Week visit som.org.uk/ohaw
About SOM
The Society of Occupational Medicine is the UK organisation for all healthcare professionals working in or with an interest in occupational health.
We are concerned with:
- the protection of the health of people in the workplace
- the prevention of occupational injuries and disease
- related environmental issues
The Society stimulates interest and research in occupational medicine and works with the government, the healthcare community, health charities and other bodies to promote a healthier workforce. It also acts as the voice of occupational medicine, responding to consultative documents and media enquiries on issues affecting the speciality. A national leader in providing continued professional development and education for all doctors and healthcare professionals working in occupational health, it is also a forum for the exchange of ideas, best practice and networking opportunities.
A registered charity, founded in 1935 as the Association of Industrial Medical Officers, it changed its name to become The Society of Occupational Medicine in 1965. In 2012, the Society opened its membership to health professionals working in occupational health.
Visit www.som.org.uk for more information.
About COHPA
COHPA, is a ‘Not for Profit’ Non-regulatory Membership Association for Occupational Health and Wellbeing providers and was founded in 2004.
COHPA has become a prominent figure within the Occupational Health Sector, working with providers to enable employers to access best practice Occupational Health and promote health, safety and wellbeing throughout the UK’s working population.
COHPA membership signifies a commitment to supporting the growth of the Occupational Health industry through increased awareness and education at local and national level. What’s more membership offers a variety of business benefits, such as networking, training and business lead generation, from one off referrals to national contracts for health surveillance and absence management.
COHPA is here to support Occupational Health providers large and small, to grow their businesses and in turn the Occupational Health Industry, supporting health and wellbeing in the workplace.
COHPA growing healthier businesses together