The role of universities in promoting healthy workplaces

The role of universities in promoting healthy workplaces Judy Orme Professor of Public Health and Sustainability

A Settings Approach • Ottawa Charter (WHO, 1986) “Health is created and lived by people within the settings of their everyday life; where they learn, work, play and love. ” • Settings approach – starting point for health promotion programmes: “…shifting the focus from the deficit model of disease to the health potentials inherent in the social and institutional settings of everyday life”. (Kickbusch 1996)

Healthy settings approach • A settings approach advocated since mid 80 s. • Socio- ecological model of health • Dynamic complex systems • Whole system thinking • Examples – schools, universities, hospitals, sports stadia, workplace, cities.

Determinants of health and well-being Health Map - Barton, H. and Grant, M. downloadable under a creative commons licence from www. bne. uwe. ac. uk/who/health map/ccl. asp

Obesity – perhaps not quite so simple! – Foresight obesity causal map 5

Policy context ‘Working for a Healthier Tomorrow’ (Black, 2008) • ‘Improving Health and Work’ - The Government’s Response (2008) • ‘NHS Health and Well-Being Review’ (Boorman, 2009) This report found that NHS organisations that prioritise staff health and wellbeing performed better, in terms of quality, patient satisfaction, staff retention and sickness absence.

Working for a healthier tomorrow 3 principal objectives • Prevention of illness and promotion of health and wellbeing • Early intervention for those who develop a health condition • An improvement in the health of those out of work

Public health & public health economics • PH Outcomes Framework 2012 • Mental health problems and Musculoskeletal disorders are major causes of sickness absence • Lifestyle behaviours – smoking + obesity • 175 million working days lost to illness in 2006 • Annual economic costs of working age illhealth estimated over £ 100 billion • SROI type calculations e. g. £ 1 invested in workplace health brings a return of £ 3. 50

Government response • Creating new perspectives on health and work e. g. Fit note; GP education; Regional coordinators; Evidence base • Improving work and workplaces e. g. NHS workforce review; OH helpline; National strategy for Mental health & employment • Supporting people to work e. g. Fit for Work pilots

Active Workplace Initiative Rochdale Council 2006 -10 Year Average sick days per employee Cost of sickness absence Reduction in sickness costs 2006/07 11. 3 £ 10. 57 million N/A 2007/08 10. 6 £ 9. 91 million £ 660 k 2008/09 10. 0 £ 9. 35 million £ 560 k 2009/10 9. 4 £ 8. 79 million £ 560 k Total £ 38. 62 million £ 1. 78 million

Employer benefit evidence • Royal Mail – health & wellbeing initiatives • British Gas – back care workshops • Parcelforce – comprehensive wellbeing programme • SMEs?

Developing Leadership and Governance for Healthy Universities • 169 HEIs • 2. 4 m students • 370, 000 staff

Wellbeing & engagement In UK HE sector: • £ 270 m cost of sickness absence per year • 10% reduction in average sickness absence = £ 27 m per year (e. g. £ 400 K for Univ of Sheffield) • If a 10% increase in performance is worth minimum of 5% of salary (£ 1, 606 per employee) £ 600 m potential financial gain per year(e. g. £ 9. 6 m per year to Univ Bristol)

7 Government indicators 1. Improving knowledge about the importance of work health + health work. 2. Improving the promotion of health & well-being 3. Reducing the incidence of work-related ill-health and injuries and their causes. 4. Reducing proportion of people out of work due to ill-health. 5. Improving self-reported health status 6. Improving access to health service support. 7. Improving business productivity

Public Health Responsibility Deal – Health@work pledges • Occupational health standards • Health and wellbeing reporting • Chronic conditions guide • Healthier staff restaurants

Higher Education Sector Project findings-health & wellbeing Projects: • Leadership and Governance of Healthy Universities (HEFCE) • Improving performance through wellbeing & engagement (HEFCE)

Healthy Universities “A Healthy University aspires to create a learning environment and organisational culture that enhances the health, well-being and sustainability of its community and enables people to achieve their full potential. ” www. healthyuniversities. ac. uk

Healthy Universities

Examples of Integrative Work Transport: sustainable transport policies are increasingly being developed and championed across higher education sector, contributing to action on climate change by reducing carbon emissions and helping tackle obesity and other chronic diseases by promoting physical activity. Food: ‘whole university’ healthy and sustainable food frameworks can also impact positively on health and carbon reduction, helping to address interconnected procurement, catering, retail, education, research and advocacy roles in an integrated way. Curriculum: universities can also embed health and sustainable development into their core business through means of curriculum development linked to research and knowledge exchange – with an emphasis on inter-disciplinary transformative learning. Orme and Dooris, 2010

National HEFCE funded project

Findings from UCEA project Better scores for workplace factors -higher levels of engagement -better psychological wellbeing -lower perceived stressors …. is significantly associated with better performance in NSS and RAE.

Business case for Wellbeing and Engagement in HE • Comprehensive literature review Conclusion Promotion of employee wellbeing • increased commitment +job satisfaction; • staff retention; • improved productivity and performance; • reduced staff absence

Initiatives with some impact • Psychological contract • Stress management- briefings, training programmes, promotion of physical activity (gym incl. ) • Resilience training for senior managers • Employee communications • Board level communications and engagement • Training modules for middle managers – coping with major change; leading major change • New sickness absence procedure + support

Focus on the South West • Strategic Healthy Workplace Alliance • Bristol Workplace Health and Wellbeing

Workplace Wellbeing Charter Self assessment standards for businesses in England - Leadership Attendance management H&S requirements Mental health and wellbeing Smoking and tobacco-related ill-health - Physical activity - Healthy eating - Alcohol and substance abuse • www. wellbeingcharter. org. uk

Structure of Bristol economy ~17, 500 employers in Bristol Organisations with 50 or fewer staff account for almost 50% of employees Large organisations (250+ employees) account for almost a third of all employees

Examples of good practice

Exemplar: Ginsters • On average earnings are 25% below the UK national average. • Ginsters is located in Callington, once a busy mining area, main industries now farming and tourism. • Ginsters used to have a high staff turnover, high sickness absence, disengaged staff

Example of good practice: Ginsters • • • Started July 2006. UWE project evaluation. On-site fitness suite: workplace coordinator Active workplace coordinator Health surgeries (alcohol, BP, BMI, diabetes) Around 15 regular physically-based activities Taster sessions (e. g. canoeing) New menus in Restaurant + free fruit for all staff Family and Community activities, e. g. allotments Reaching out to their suppliers and neighbouring small companies • Integrated locality programme

Ginsters -continued • • Improvements in health and wellbeing Sustainable business One business Confident

Summary • Role of university is very broad in terms of its contribution to workplace health • Universities are major employers • Perhaps the concept of a ‘healthy workplace’ needs to redefined during such difficult and challenging economic times • A focus on both large and SMEs needs to be included