Organisations need to do more to ensure employee wellbeing Wellness at Work

Organisations need to do more to ensure employee wellbeing Wellness at Work, protecting and promoting employees’ health and wellbeing, by Lynda Macdonald

According to the latest CIPD Employee absence survey, absence costs 588 per employee per year, with minor illnesses and stress being cited as the main reason for absence. A new book, Wellness at Work: protecting and promoting employees’ health and wellbeing, aims to help organisations tackle stress related sickness and absence. It offers advice on how to limit stress and create an environment in which employees feel able to perform to the best of their abilities because they are as healthy as they can be and because they feel valued and motivated.

The book provides a comprehensive look at what organisations need to do beyond simple compliance and health and safety.

Lynda Macdonald, author of the book, says, Implementing positive health and wellbeing initiatives is a sound business investment. Although the results can be hard to measure and will often be long term rather than immediate, organisations who introduce such measures are likely to reap considerable benefits.

Valuing staff not only encourages a more content and valued workforce but also helps gain significant rewards in the business sense. It will help create a more efficient and productive workforce with less time off due to sickness, and consequent reduction in the direct and indirect costs of such absence.

The book gives practical advice on a wide-range of issues including:

- Stress management
- Harassment and bullying
- Working hours
- Dealing with long-term ill-health absence
- Law on duty of care