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Analysis: Workplace wellbeing

February 2009 News

…STOP PRESS

PROFESSIONAL OCCUPATIONS ‘EXCEEDING’ DRINK LIMITS People in managerial and professional households are more likely to exceed guidelines on the amount of alcohol they drink each day. Statistics from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that 43% of people in professional and managerial roles exceed the limit, compared to 31% of people from routine and manual households. Almost all (96%) of respondents to the general household survey were aware that drinking increases the risk of accidents and liver disease and most knew that it increase the risk of depression (82%), hypertension (78%) and heart disease (73%). Fewer people knew that it can also increase the risk of stroke (66%) and pancreatitis (59%). Over a third of adults exceed the daily drink limit at least once a week, the ONS figures suggest.

EMPLOYEES TYING IN ABSENCE TO WEEKENDS Employees extend absence to reach into the weekend, new research suggests. According to a study by Active Health Partners, the most popular day for a two day absence is Thursday, while three and four day absences occur most on Wednesdays and Tuesdays respectively. Although it has long been recognised that Mondays and Fridays are the most popular days for one day absences, with 24% of one day absences occurring on a Monday, this latest research provides an important insight into absence and the issues managers face when tackling suspected non-legitimate days off, AHP said. Statistics collated from live calls to AHP’s nurse contact-centre show that 35% of four-day absences start on a Tuesday, 28% of three-day absences begin on a Wednesday and 21% of employees who take two consecutive days off start their absence on Thursday.

Health insurance and protection companies spend a lot of time discussing the importance of workplace health - so we thought we’d put their claims to the test each month! Do their workforces practise what they preach?

It was during the 1981 recession that Norman Tebbit issued his infamous “get on your bike” order. In 2009 the government is making similar noises but with a different motive in mind. Ministers still want us at work, but they’d like us to get there a few pounds lighter and with less cause to moan about the traffic in the lift.

Whitehall has visions of us pedalling our way into the office, a hi-vis army on the nation’s roads, dodging obesity stats as we speed into a greener future. To that effect, it has launched CycleScheme, an initiative that enables employees to borrow a bike for a year, tax free.

Cashplan provider Simplyhealth is already signed up, giving all staff the opportunity to get their hands on brand new bike and pay it back gradually during the year. When 12 months are up they can get a brand new set of wheels, and the whole process starts’ again. Thrifty employees can even calculate how much they’re saving (www.cyclescheme.co.uk).

If all goes to plan, 2009 could see the Simplyhealth offices populated by lean, green employees. Which just leaves the question of what to talk about in the lift.

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

This month, Edmund Tirbutt, regular Health Insurance contributor and coauthor of the highly acclaimed book Beat The Booze, sheds some light on how employers should be tackling alcohol issues in the workplace.

The fact that most people with drink problems are actually in work means than employers can’t afford to turn a blind eye to alcohol issues. Up to 14 million working days a year are lost due to alcohol and, from a presenteeism perspective, hangovers and “good lunches” could be even more costly.

All businesses should therefore have a written alcohol policy that clearly spells out whether any drinking is permitted on the premises and what, if any, level of drinking is allowed during working hours - some experts recommend the drink driving limit. It should also make it clear that any employee who volunteers a drink problem will receive the company’s full support in helping them try to make a recovery.

Employee assistance programmes can play a crucial role in addressing underlying problems before an individual’s drinking has actually become a performance issue, as can effective management training in spotting the early symptoms of alcohol abuse.

Most alcohol experts agree that employees who successfully defeat drink problems are likely to represent exceptionally valuable assets. But they also agree that the chances of recovery are very much greater if drink problems can be spotted before they become full blown physical addictions.