Creating healthy
workplaces
in Bolton
Guide to developing a Healthy
Workplace Strategy
Recommended Strategy Contents and Format
1. Introduction 2. Mission Statement 3. Aim of the Strategy
4. Objectives of the Strategy 5. How it will be implemented 6. Monitoring and Evaluation 7. Resources
Creating healthy
workplaces
in Bolton
The need for a Healthy Workplace Strategy
Your staff are a vital resource to your organisation and it is important that you do all you can to keep them in work and working well. Having a strategy in place will enable even the smallest of businesses to take a long term view of health improvement and ill health prevention at work and set out the actions you intend to deliver in your place of work.
How to design a Workplace Healthy Workplace Strategy
Your starting point is to look at any information you have regarding staff health and well being.
Sickness absence data, recruitment and retention rates and staff morale. Ask your staff what they think about their current state of health and whether or not there is something you as an employer could do to help them. You will find much more detail in other sections of the Clock on 2 Health manual to help you with gathering data and consulting staff.
Once you have your information gathered in you need to work through it to highlight any specific issues or areas that you feel could be improved in your workplace. This will form the detail of the Strategy and Action Plan.
Your strategy will act as a guide for your journey through the clock on 2 Health Award Scheme or is ideal as a stand alone strategy for those workplaces who want to achieve the Bronze award and ensure that they retain it. It should reflect the longer term view of your plans to make your workplace healthy so a three to five year plan would for example be ideal. A smaller workplace may wish to take a year on year approach.
The information provided here is intended to act as a guide only. You may feel free to develop a strategy that fits in with your currently policy structures and include information that is relevant and pertinent to the values and ethos of your workplace and your intentions to improve the health and wellbeing of your staff.
Creating healthy
workplaces
in Bolton
1. Introduction
In this section you should outline your rationale for promoting good health and reducing ill health in your workplace and your reasons for participating in Clock on 2 Health.
For example you may wish to consider including things such When did work to improve workplace health begin
Why did your organisation get involved with this award scheme and why do you consider it important for your workplace
How do you see the work developing, who will be included, who will benefit and to what extent What are your long term aims
2. Mission Statement
Your mission statement should set out a brief statement of the purpose of developing and implementing a Healthy Workplace Strategy outlining your organisational, ethos and values etc. For example you may wish to consider including things such
state the organisation’s commitment to providing support to improve the health and welfare of their employees.
state the organisation’s commitment to making changes to ensure the health and welfare of their employees.
refer to any other documents or strategies in your workplace which support the health and welfare of employees and which tie in with this current initiative
refer to the core components of a healthy workplace i.e. the workforce, the environment, the structure of the organisation
Creating healthy
workplaces
in Bolton
3. Aims of your Policy
In this section you should set out your ultimate long term goal For example you may wish to state your intention
improve the health of employees in your organisation. reduce staff turnover and improve recruitment and retention increase morale and motivation.
provide support to employees living with a condition that affects their health
set out how you will support staff back into work who have been off for a long period of sickness absence
4. Objectives of your strategy
Your objectives should set out the steps you will take to ensure that your aims are achieved. You could begin by stating how your consulting with your staff has informed your objectives and to what extent staff have been and will be involved in the decision making, delivery and monitoring/evaluation of this initiative.
For example depending what your needs assessment has identified you might like to
our needs assessment identified (stress/diet/physical activity/smoking etc) as an issue affecting employee health. Therefore we will develop and implement a (stress/food and nutrition/smoking etc) policy in the workplace in 2009-2010.
As part of the initiative we aim to provide information to employees on a <insert> basis
We will raise awareness of the importance of health at work issues through interactive events such as a staff health fair/screening/promotion event at least once a year
Creating healthy
workplaces
in Bolton
Ensure that we offer a rolling programme of lifestyle support and intervention as part of the awareness raising of this initiative to new members of staff - as part of induction.
Participate in a local or national health campaign such as National No Smoking Day etc
Demonstrate and document activities that promote health in each or any of the following areas (for healthy workplace award).
- Mental health/improving mental wellbeing/tackling stress - stopping smoking - enjoying alcohol safely
- healthy eating and five a day - increasing your physical activity - becoming a green workplace - taking care of bones and joints - any health topic you choose
5. How the strategy will be Implemented
In this section you should set out in detail exactly how the policy will be implemented and name your workplace health champion if you have identified one
Things you might like to include here are for who will be responsible for the implementation? who will take the lead role?
How and when will staff be informed/involved
what is the membership of your health working group? when will the group meet?
If you have identified your themes in your strategy what specific events are planned as part of this and what is the timescale What are your milestones
Creating healthy
workplaces
in Bolton
6. Monitoring and Evaluation
In this section you should look at each of your objectives and consider how you will monitor and evaluate them and consider what information you need to gather to know if you have achieved your aim. You should set the required information out.
Things you might like to include here are for Detail any events held and record attendance.
Ensure that staff are encouraged to complete an evaluation form after any event or training session that you offer as part of the initiative
Record uptake of materials
Set out how you will monitor absenteeism and staff turnover Plan to undertake 2 yearly needs assessment
7. Resources
In this section you should detail the resources you will require and what is actually available. Things you might like to include here are for
Outline what resources are available in your organisation – e.g. Budgets staff time etc. Detail what support is available from Clock on 2 Health team and any external agencies/
organisation
whether costs are involved, and if support has been secured.
8. Action Plan
<sample>
Physical Activity Action Plan
Outcome Action Success Criteria Monitoring Timeframe Responsible
1.1 What you want
How you will get there (there may be mor
e th an o ne a ct io n per outcome) H ow y ou w ill kn ow th e ac tio n is
complete and the results are positive How you will review and monitor it When you will do it by
Who is resp on si b le fo r these actions? Promote Physical Act iv ity w ith in y ou r workplace (Ref er to P /A G ui da nc e document) Pedometer Challenge Find o ut w ha t D ep ts / in di vi du al s ar e
interested. Resource Pedometers Consult Business Health advisor if you need support.
Fi ll ou t e ve nt a nd
Participation evaluation sheets
M on ito r a nd re co rd
pedometer steps, by depts or individual. Eval
ua te F ee db ac k
from evaluation sheets
1 day-1 week in duration Give employees plenty of notice - 2 months
Health Champion Same D ev el op w or kp la ce health walk Iden tif y 1-2 em pl oy ee s w ho w ou ld li ke to be co m e he al th w al k trained Iden tif y m os t s ui ta bl e m on th s to ru n th e
campaign Consult Business Health advisor if you need support
Fi ll ou t e ve nt a nd
Participation evaluation sheets. Monitor attendance of walk each week Mon
ito r f or ec as t f or week ahead Eval ua te F ee db ac k
