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…for physical activity in the workplace

Making the case…. …for physical activity in the workplace. What is workplace health promotion?. Defined as: The combined efforts of employers, employees and society to improve the health and well-being of people at work Achieved through a combination of:

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…for physical activity in the workplace

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  1. Making the case… …for physical activity in the workplace

  2. What is workplace health promotion? Defined as: • The combined efforts of employers, employees and society to improve the health and well-being of people at work Achieved through a combination of: • Improving the work organisation and the working environment • Promoting the active participation of employees in health activities • Encouraging personal development

  3. Workplace health promotion Involves: • An organisational commitment to improving the health of the workforce • Providing employees with appropriate information and opportunities • Having policies and practices in place which help employees to make healthy choices • Recognising that organisations have an impact on people, their health and their workability

  4. Making the case for workplace physical activity • Physical inactivity and health • Why is the workplace important? • What are the costs associated with physical inactivity? • How can promoting physical activity in the workplace help benefit my employees and my business? • Ill health at work

  5. Physical inactivityand health

  6. Physical inactivity may be costing your business more than you think Physical inactivity and health “Physical inactivity is a major health risk and is one of the top ten leading causes of death and disability in the world”(World Health Organization, 2002)

  7. Colorectal cancer • Stress • Anxiety • Osteoporosis • Osteoarthritis • Back pain • Coronary heart disease • Stroke • Obesity • Type 2 diabetes • Hypertension Physical inactivity is associated with: (World Health Organization, 2002)

  8. To benefit health, adults should achieve a total of at least 30minutes a day of at least moderate intensity physical activity on 5 or more days of the week (Department of Health, 2004)

  9. Why is the workplace important?

  10. Why is the workplace important? • It is estimated that individuals may spend up to 60% of their waking hours in their place of work (Peersman, Harden and Oliver, 1998) • Therefore for the majority of individuals, the workplace offers a significant potential setting for physical activity

  11. Physical inactivity:Costs to business

  12. Physical inactivity: Costs to business Ill health costs business through: • Cost of absenteeism and long-term sick pay • Cost of temporary staff • Loss of production • Retention of staff, staff turnover and early retirement

  13. Ill health can also • contribute to: • Low morale • Decreased job satisfaction • Industrial injuries Physical inactivity: Costs to business

  14. Physical inactivity: Costs to business • In 2004, workplace absence averaged 9 days per employee per year (CIPD, 2004) • The average reported cost of sickness absence is £588 per employee per year (CIPD, 2004) • Projected across the whole workforce the total cost of absence to British business is £11.6 million (CBI, 2004)

  15. Physical activity:Benefits for employees

  16. Individuals who are regularly physically active are less likely than sedentary individuals to develop health problems Physical activity:Benefits for employees

  17. Physical activity:Benefits for employees • Better concentration and mental alertness • Improved memory • A reduction in stress • Improved cooperation and rapport with their colleagues (Shephard, 2002) Employees engaged in physical activity initiatives have reported: Active people also take fewer days’ sick leave than inactive employees (Physical Activity Task Force, 2003)

  18. Physical activity:Benefits for business

  19. Physical activity:Benefits for business • Increasing productivity • Improving absenteeism and ability to return to work after illness • Retaining staff • Reducing workplace injuries • Improving the morale of your workforce • Creating a positive corporate image Physical activity at work can improve the health of your business through:

  20. Physical activity:Benefits for business • Absenteeism and returning to work • Stress management and mental health • Weight management and musculo-skeletal disorders • ‘Workability’ Physical activity is a successful intervention for many issues affecting productivity and economic success in the workplace:

  21. ‘Workability’ and the ageing workforce

  22. ‘Workability’ and the ageing workforce • Many people below state pension age do not work because of reported poor health • In 2000, 2.8 million people aged between 50 and state pension age in the UK did not work • Of these 2.8 million, 1.25 million were long-term sick or disabled, and only 0.29 million were currently seeking work (Cabinet Office Performance and Innovation Unit, 2000)

  23. ‘Workability’ and the ageing workforce The implications of an ageing workforce: • Retention of staff • Recruitment • The need to promote employee health and well-being Maintaining physical work capacity over time is important because the UK has an ageing population and therefore an ageing workforce

  24. Ill health at work

  25. Ill health at work • Back pain • Stress • Obesity • Coronary heart disease • Diabetes Research shows that physical activity has a positive impact on the most common and costly health problems encountered at work:

  26. Back pain: Prevalence • Back pain is the leading cause of sickness absence from work in the UK, affecting 1.1 million people (Office for National Statistics, 1998) • An estimated 16 million people suffer from back pain in the UK and it is estimated that up to 8 out of 10 people will experience back pain lasting more than a day at some point in their life (Department of Health, Health Select Committee, 1999; Maniadakis and Gray, 2000) • 40% of the UK population report having had back pain in the last year and, of these, 40% had visited their GP (Department of Health, Health Select Committee, 1999)

  27. Back care: Cost • The overall cost of back pain and musculo-skeletal disorders to industry in Great Britain has been estimated at £5 billion a year, with over 119 million working days lost each year (DSS Analytical Services Division, 1999) • This equates to a cost of £208 for every employee each year (Waddell and Burton, 2000) • Once an employee is off work for 4-12 weeks, they have a 10-40% risk of still being off work one year later (Waddell, Feder et al, 1996)

  28. Back pain: How physical activity can help • Staying active and continuing ordinary activities is likely to result in faster recovery, faster return to work and less chronic disability (Waddell, 1998) • People who are physically fit generally get less back pain and recover faster (Burton, 2002)

  29. Stress: Prevalence • An estimated half a million UK employees believe they are experiencing work-related stress(HSE, 1998) • Work-related stress, depression and anxiety is the second most common type of work-related illness(HSE, 2004)

  30. Stress: Cost • Stress-related illness costs UK employers between £3.75 billion and £7 billion per year (HSE, 1995; CBI, 2001) • An estimated 13.4 million days were lost in 2001/02 through stress, depression or anxiety caused or made worse by work. This equates to an average of 29.2 days off work per sufferer, per year(HSE, 2004)

  31. Exercise has an anxiety-reducing effect. Furthermore, single sessions of moderate exercise can reduce short-term reaction to stress and enhance recovery from stressors (Biddle, Fox et al, 2000) Stress: How physical activity can help

  32. Obesity: Prevalence • Obesity is a serious threat to health with 22.1% of men and 22.8% of women in England classified as clinically obese (Department of Health, 2004) • The upward trend in obesity appears to parallel a reduction in physical activity and a rise in sedentary behaviour (National Audit Office, 2001) • The prevalence of obesity and risk of becoming obese are twice as high in sedentary individuals compared with active individuals (Vuori, 2000)

  33. Obesity is estimated to cost at least £2.5 billion per year in treatment costs to the NHS, and in excess of £2 billion to the wider economy (National Audit Office, 2001) Obesity: Cost • In England in 1998, there were over 18 million days of medically certified sickness absence attributable to obesity and 40,000 lost years of working life

  34. Obesity: How physical activity can help • Physical activity helps to prevent weight gain, maintain weight loss, and treat obesity (Haskell, 1998) • The most effective way to manage weight is to combine regular physical activity with healthy eating habits (British Nutrition Foundation, 1999)

  35. Coronary heart disease (CHD): Prevalence • CHD is the most common cause of death overall in the UK, accounting for just under 114,000 deaths a year (BHF, 2004) • CHD is the most common cause of death in those of working age (BHF, 2004) • Up to 37% of CHD deaths are related to inactivity (McPherson, Britton et al, 2002)

  36. Coronary heart disease: Cost • The total estimated cost of CHD to the UK economy is at least £7.9 billion a year(BHF, 2005a) • Of the total costs to the UK, £3.1 billion are because of days lost due to death, illness and informal care of people with the disease (BHF, 2005a) • Of the total cost of CHD to the UK, 40% was due to productivity losses (BHF, 2005b)

  37. CHD: How physical activity can help • Inactivity is the most prevalent risk factor for CHD(Department of Health, 2000) • 9% of CHD deaths in the UK could be avoided if all those who are sedentary and lightly active became moderately active (McPherson, Britton et al, 2002)

  38. The best estimate of the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in England is 4.3% for men and 3.4% for women (Department of Health, 2004) Diabetes: Prevalence

  39. Diabetes: Cost • Estimates of the cost of diabetes vary, but one source states that diabetes accounts for some 9% of the total NHS budget, representing a total of about £5.2 billion a year • It is estimated that 56% of that expenditure could be saved through modifications to people’s diet and activity levels (Currie, Kraus et al, 1997)

  40. Diabetes: How physical activity can help • The risk of developing diabetes is 20-60% lower in active individuals compared with sedentary individuals(US Department of Health and Human Services, 1996) • People with diabetes or at high risk of diabetes can gain immediate benefits from each activity session, and longer-term benefits if they remain regularly active over time(American College of Sports Medicine, 2000)

  41. In summary… • You caninfluence the health of your workforce • The health of the workforce does impact on the business • Alittleeffort does go a long way

  42. For more information visit… • CBI – The Voice of Business: www.cbi.org.uk • Department of Trade and Industry: www.dti.gov.uk • European Agency for Health and Safety at Work: www.europe.osha.eu.int • Health and Safety Executive: www.hse.gov.uk/ • Health Development Agency Human Resource Consultancy: www.publichealth.nice.org.uk • Healthy Workplace Initiative (Department of Health and Health and Safety Executive): www.signupweb.net • Institution of Occupational Safety and Health: www.iosh.co.uk • National Institution for Occupational Health and Safety: www.cdc.go/niosh • Occupational Health Strategy: www.ohstrategy.net • Our Healthier Nation: www.ohn.gov.uk • Trades Union Congress www.tuc.org.uk • University of Nottingham - Institute of Work, Health and Organisations: www.nottingham.ac.uk/iwho

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