The Business in the Community – ‘Healthy People = Healthy Profits’ report for the DWP highlighted 20 case studies – advocating them as examples of UK best practise. These organisations included: Ernst & Young; First ScotRail; GlaxoSmithKline; Nationwide Building Society; Parcelforce Worldwide; Standard Life Healthcare; Stockport Council and Towry Law.
Some examples of actions taken by these businesses, and some of the results they saw, are shown below:
| Company | Some of the Actions Taken | Some of the Results Seen |
| Ernst & Young | Private health insurance, Annual health screening, Organisation-wide campaigns – often tied to community activity | Although staff numbers increased by 10%, turnover went down from 16% to 14%, Absence days lost decreased by 3%, with a direct impact on productivity |
| First ScotRail | Wellbeing Weeks featuring healthy eating advice, discounted gym memberships, smoking cessation advice. Introduction of employee lifestyle diaries and 1 to 1 advice | Absence decreased from 6.2% to 4.2% saving around £3 million per year, 40% of surveyed felt ‘well looked after’ by their employer |
| GlaxoSmithKline | Smoking cessation support, walking programmes, weight management programmes | Global work-related mental ill-health levels dropped 60%, working days lost fell 29%, performance & productivity increased 7 – 13% |
| Nationwide Building Society | Flexible working policy, free employee health screening, healthy food services, support for gym memberships | Staff turnover decreased as did employee absence producing substantial cost savings from retention rates |
| Parcelforce Worldwide | Provision of gyms, bicycle loans, sports grants. Two days annual healthcare training for every manager | Sickness absence reduced by 1/3, productivity increased by 12.5%. Overall a direct investment of £2.25 million yielded £6 million in direct cost savings |
| Standard Life Healthcare | Healthier menu in staff restaurant, subsidised after work fitness classes | Sickness absence reduced 26%, proportion of employees who smoke reduced |
| Stockport Council, Greater Manchester | Survey results showed 93% of employees were not doing the recommended 30mins of daily exercise, and 40% worked through their lunch on 2 days or more per week. | The council developed its Healthwise campaign to increase employee awareness resulting in 44% fewer days lost through sickness absence |
| Towry Law | Onsite gym & corporate rates at local gyms, subsidised healthy restaurant, health screening | Reduced absenteeism, reduced staff turnover (down 25% in 2007) |
Prof Dame Carol Black hopes that these examples will encourage other businesses to think about how it can introduce and implement changes that may make a difference within their workplace.
As she says, good health means good business and that could not be more relevant in today’s economic climate.
Read Healthy People – Healthy Business Part 1 here
A note about the author: In addition to being the Bookings Administrator for the Business School, Gemma is a qualified fitness instructor and took up running over 10 years ago. She is also a keen cyclist and recently began teaching at Bootcamp Jersey, in Millbrook.
If you would like to find out more and reserve a place on our forthcoming workshop, Breaking the Stress Habit with Dr Alyssa Burns-Hill, then call Gemma on 816338 or email gemmarenfrey@jerseyibs.com