UK 
United States
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recently published guidance to employers addressing the effects of poor working environments on people’s lives. Workplace health continues to be a significant issue, costing the UK economy £13.4 billion, the equivalent of 27 million lost working days each year.
The guidance recommends simple changes for employers to help reduce sick leave and create a healthy, productive workforce. Here are the key areas covered:
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Some of the areas may sound obvious; however they are not always easily demonstrated and measured. By using specially designed portals, employers can measure and evaluate the effectiveness of changes they make. Wider Plan offers a range of products designed to increase employee engagement, recognition and wellbeing, helping employers achieve their workplace health objectives.
A good starting point is for employers to review policies and employee benefits to ensure they all contribute towards planned health objectives. Having policies in place is not always enough for employees to feel they are treated fairly, communication of the policies is equally important. A benefits portal, such as Wider Wallet Plus, can be used for more than just employee benefits; it can include policies and procedures too. Wider Wallet Plus provides employees with easy access to vital information, and employers an excellent communication channel to promote their organisation’s culture and commitment to their employees.
Organisations wishing to promote their wellbeing package separately may look at implementing a health and wellness programme. Wider Wellbeing has a specific focus on health and wellbeing benefits such as employee assistance programmes, health screening and cash plans. Wider Wellbeing also includes specific information to help employees reach their wellbeing goals, and offers employers a range of surveys to measure employee welfare, engagement and the impact of changes.
Reward and recognition is fundamental to employee wellbeing. Employees who feel recognised by both management and peers demonstrate higher engagement. Reward schemes help employers to formalise their reward objectives. Schemes such as Wider Rewards ensure reward and recognition occurs throughout the organisation with the Peer-to-Peer Thanks function. A formal reward scheme also gives visibility of achievements throughout the organisation that otherwise may have gone unnoticed.
With the right tools and communication channels, nurturing a healthy workforce does not have to mean grandiose changes throughout the organisation. If you would like to talk to Wider Plan about the health and wellbeing of your workforce, call 0800 612 6110 or email [email protected].
Sarah Davis, Wider Plan Ltd www.widerplan.com
