Healthy workplaces

1. Healthy Workplaces
Biddy O Neill
Healthy Ireland DOH

2. Healthy Ireland is the National Framework to
improve the Health and Wellbeing of the
population of Ireland 2013-2025
“A healthy society and workforce benefits all
sectors, so responsibility for prevention
programmes cannot rest solely with the health
system but must be shared across Government
Departments “

3.  World Health Organisation Healthy
Workplace Framework and Model 2010
 IOSH Working Well-Guidance on Promoting
Health and Wellbeing at Work 2015
 NICE Workplace Health : Management
Practices 2015
 CIPD Growing the Health and Wellbeing
Agenda 2016

4. A Healthy Workplace is one in which
workers and managers collaborate to use a
continued improvement process to protect
and promote the health, safety and
wellbeing of all workers
WHO 2010

5.  Healthy Ireland Action 1.6 - promote and
protect the health and wellbeing of the
workforce
 Corporate Social Responsibility Plan 2017 -
promote health and wellbeing as a core value
of the workplace
 HSA Strategy Statement – 2016 promote well-
being and positive mental health

6.  Proposed legislation in relation to promoting
health and wellbeing in Public Sector
 Increase in work related illness rates over
accidents
 Lifestyle risks and chronic disease
 Evidence in relation to benefits for employee
and employer increasing

7.  Literature review
 Policy Landscape
 Consultation
 Build Capacity
 Develop Accreditation Model
 Development of Resources
Development
of Healthy
Workplace
Framework

8.  Review evidence of benefits and costs of
workplace wellbeing
 Identify policy mechanisms to support
workplace wellbeing
 Identify factors at organisational level to
support workplace wellbeing
 Identify barriers and facilitators at
organisational level for implementation

9. Aim to provide an overview of current legislation,
policy and official guidance concerning promotion
of the health and wellbeing of workers in Ireland
 21 separate pieces of legislation relevant to
workplace health
 Clear policy shift towards action on health
and wellbeing
 Significant gaps exist i.e. Mental Health Policy
in workplace.

10. Pre
Consultation
Workshops
and Survey
Monkey
Analysis and
Report

11.  Four Workshops 175 participants
 Online Survey 1600 valid responses
 Female/Male 70/30
 87% Public Sector Employees
 47% are Line Managers
 Respondents -Health and Safety 25%
Health Promotion/Public Health 24% Human
Resources 17% and Occupational Health 12%

12.  Conduct Site Visits to identify barriers and
enablers in the implementation of workplace
programmes ( 15 sites visited )
Feedback from site visits
 Role of management support and leadership
 Evidence of commitment within corporate
plans
 Clear rationale for investment in programme
 Allocation of resources

13.  Development of Post Graduate Certificate on
Workplace Wellness with NUIG
 Seed funding provided by both Government
Departments
 Proposed content to include Concepts and
Principles of Health Promotion, Workplace
Wellbeing and Project Development
 Blended Learning model –September 2017
 Explore opportunities to integrate modules
into existing programmes

14.  Review models of accreditation for healthy
workplaces operating at national and
international levels
 Assess feasibility for adoption in the Irish
Context
 Propose key elements for inclusion in
Framework
 Develop structures to support and implement
model going forward

15. Employer
 Well-managed Health and safety
 Positive image
 High staff morale
 Reduced absenteeism and staff turnover
 Increased productivity
 Reduced health care costs

16. Employee
 Safe work environment
 Reduced stress
 Increased job satisfaction
 Enhanced self esteem
 Improved personal health
 Positive sense of wellbeing

17.  Recognition that Health and Wellbeing is a
core element of H&S
 Clarity re role and responsibility for key
stakeholders
 Evidence of cost effectiveness
 Long term investment
 Evaluation of programmes

18. Complete
Reports
Develop
Accreditation
Model
Draft
Framework
Focused
Consultation
Launch of
Framework and
Implementation
Plan

19.  To promote health in the workplace we need to
take a holistic approach
 We need leadership, strategic direction and
commitment
 Self care is critical for all of us regardless of
what our role is or what level we are at in the
organisation
 We need to recognise that the staff are the
greatest asset in the organisation

20. “Health and Wellbeing is not just about
initiatives; it’s about aspiring to position
employee health and wellbeing as a continuous
thread that runs through every operational
decision, a cultural lens that guides everything we
do and how we do it –in business terms, a systems
approach.” CIPD Jan 2016

21. Web : http://www.healthyireland.ie/
Tweet : @healthyireland