Work place health checks

Do you offer work place health checks for your staff?

An unhealthy and unhappy workforce can be costly:

• Each year 140 million working days are lost to sickness absence in the UK, costing UK businesses an estimated £29 billion.
• Presenteeism - attending work while sick - is valued at an average cost to employers of £605 per employee per year, due to reduced productivity.
• The financial cost to British business of mental ill health is estimated at £26 billion every year.
• Smokers sick leave and smoking breaks are estimated to cost UK business £8.7 billion every year.
• High staff turnover can incur huge recruitment and training costs, on top of lost revenue while new employees reach full productivity.

Evidence shows that workplace health initiatives can deliver a wide range of benefits, to both employers and staff. Staff enjoy improved well being, and workplace health checks can even pick-up conditions before they cause symptoms. Employees working for firms that promote wellness are more likely to be engaged, and think positively of their employers. 

British Heart Foundation research shows that employers who invest in appropriate and successful workplace health initiatives have the potential to see a return on investment of between £2 and £34 for every £1 spent. Typically, programmes that address overall health pay back over two to three years, while more targeted interventions - such as weight management, or smoking cessation - can be even quicker.

How you can help your staff

Did you know Salford City Council's Health Improvement Service can visit your workplace and conduct health checks for your staff?

The checks only take 30 minutes and the team can bring a fully equipped health bus on site, so no need for your staff to leave the workplace. There is a nominal charge for the service, however many of the follow on services (advice on stopping smoking, being active and eating healthier) are FREE. For more information about workplace health checks please email health.improvement@salford.gov.uk.

Benefits for employees:

• better physical health
• better mental health and well being
• increased motivation
• less sickness and quicker recovery
• improved morale
• greater work satisfaction

Benefits for employers:

• onsite health checks
• increased productivity
• lower rates of early retirement due to ill health
• reduced absenteeism and quick return to work after illness
• fewer workplace injuries
• greater staff retention & engaged employees
• reduced costs to train new staff
• improvements in communications