Health and well-being – the Cinderella of workplace management?
A health and safety professional body has urged politicians to put greater emphasis on good occupational health and well-being, referring to the issue as “the ‘Cinderella’ of workplace management”.
The remarks were made by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH). A source at IOSH noted that last year a total of 148 people were fatally injured in the workplace in Britain as a result of accidents, but more than 12,000 died from work-related diseases.
This autumn, IOSH is meeting with politicians at all three of the main political party conferences to make the case that good health and well-being at work can boost productivity, morale and profit — and must no longer be the “Cinderella” of workplace management.
Commenting on the issue, Richard Jones, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at IOSH, said, “We need better awareness, training for GPs, tax exemptions for employers and more recognition of the key role of the health and safety profession. The daily impact of getting it wrong on families, businesses and the economy is massive. Last year alone, over a million people suffered an illness they put down to their work, with 22.7 million working days lost to it. We need a national wake-up call to make sure health and well-being is taken more seriously.”
He added, “Health and safety professionals have lots of practical advice for making life better for everyone — helping improve health and preventing a multitude of disorders, including work-related cancers, hearing loss, chronic lung disease, skin disorders, disabling muscle and joint pain and stress-related illness. Though less ‘instant and dramatic’ than injury, sometimes taking years to develop, illness is equally devastating and must be tackled.”