ACT Healthy Workers Program Commonwealth Safety Management Forum 22 February 2012

1. ACT Healthy Workers ProgramCommonwealth Safety Management Forum 22 February 2012 Merryn Hare Director, Health Promotion Branch Population Health Division ACT Government Health Directorate

2. Presentation will cover • Origins of workplace health promotion • Best practice workplace health promotion • Benefits of workplace health • Policy context for ACT program • ACT formative work • Available programs and future directions • Call for feedback from Forum participants

3. Why healthy workplaces? • Workplaces are recognised nationally and internationally (WHO) as an important setting to address the rising levels of chronic disease • Approximately one third of adult life is spent at work • Employers can influence behaviour by providing a supportive environment to improve healthy lifestyle behaviours

4. Key elements of best practice workplace health promotion Leadership • Promote active leadership of senior management in health and wellbeing initiatives Culture • Align health and wellbeing goals with business strategy and OH&S • Create a supportive environment and culture focused on health and wellbeing

5. Key elements of best practice cont. People • Target interventions based on unique characteristics of employee population • Offer incentives to encourage participation and better outcomes • Use targeted and ongoing mass communication Process • Establish an evaluation and monitoring program to measure change, outcomes and financial impact • Collaborate with external parties through public-private partnerships

6. Benefits to employers of investing in workplace health • Increased productivity • Increased staff morale, job satisfaction, motivation • Decreased workplace stress • Reduced sick leave and absenteeism • Increased ability to attract/retain employees • Improved corporate citizenship and image • Fewer workers compensation claims • Decreased insurance premiums

7. Walking at lunchtime

8. Policy context • Govt push to reduce chronic disease risk factors through workplaces • ACT Healthy Future – Preventative Health Program (workplace health $: 2009-12) • COAG NPA on Preventive Health (NPAPH) (HW initiative $: 2011-2015)

9. Overarching program directions and objectives Aim: to reduce the risk of chronic disease for individuals of working age currently in paid employment in the ACT, by supporting positive healthy lifestyle behaviour change through the workplace setting, including: • increasing physical activity levels; • healthier eating behaviours; • smoking reduction/cessation; • reduction of harmful alcohol consumption; • maintenance of healthy weight; and • improved stress management.

10. Healthy taste tests

11. ACT HW program development • Stakeholder workshop – Nov 2009 • Established Advisory Group – Feb 2010 • Workplace Health Promotion Needs Analysis (PwC) – completed Feb 2011 • E-newsletter to keep stakeholders informed • ACT Healthy@Work Pilot in five sites – Sept 2010 to Oct 2011 +18 month evaluation • Capacity building grants for providers – 9 successful organisations

12. Needs analysis – ACT workforce • Approx 220,500 workers in the ACT employed by over 11,000 employers • 58% of ACT workers employed by large organisations (>200 workers), compared to 21% nationally. • 41% of ACT workers employed in the public sector, compared to 14% nationally http://health.act.gov.au/health-services/population-health/health-promotion-branch/healthy-workers/

13. ACT workforce cont. • 31% of ACT employers classified in the Property & Business Services industry, compared to 20% nationally • 47% of ACT workers in white collar occupations, compared to 34% nationally • 18% of ACT workers in blue collar occupations, compared to 32% nationally

14. ACT worker lifestyle risk factors • 56% overweight/obese (compared to 60% nationally) • 93% inadequate veg consumption (92% nat) • 48% inadequate fruit consumption (51% nat) • 65% inadequate physical activity (70% nat)

15. ACT worker lifestyle risk factors • 20% smokers (22% nat) • 48% consume alcohol on a single occasion at harmful levels (compared to 47% nationally) • 32% report moderate to high levels of psychological distress (31% nat)

16. Blue collar lifestyle risk factors Of blue collar ACT workers: • 43% smoke (20% ACT) • 58% have inadequate fruit intake (48% ACT) • 34% have a lifetime risk for alcohol (23% ACT) • 84% report at least 2 unhealthy behaviours (70% ACT)

17. Targeting specific health and wellbeing needs in the ACT • large public sector workforce • small and medium enterprise employers – equitable approach • workforce segments – blue collar workers poor risk profile + almost half are white collar • modifiable lifestyle risk factors – high prevalence

18. ACT Healthy@Work Pilot 13 month pilot in five diverse ACT workplaces. Strategies to address: • individual lifestyle and behavioural factors of employees • workplace capacity and readiness to be health promoting environments. Tools for use in workplaces have also been tested e.g. employee survey and audit tool. Implementation phase completed in October 2011

19. Pilot evaluation Process evaluation report (Dec 2011) – findings: • Employees feel employers care more about their health and wellbeing – 76%, up from 52% • Increases in health knowledge, with some reported behaviour change • Management identified benefits to work cultures, with expected reduced staff turnover Early outcomes evaluation report due late March

20. HW Implementation Plan - general • Workplace Health Support and Facilitation Service – WorkSafe ACT • Supporting resources: website, guides, tools, policy templates – for all workplaces • Training for workplace health coordinators (Comcare) • Mentoring/leadership program • Financial incentives/ support for high risk workplaces

21. Active travel

22. HW Implementation Plan cont. • Social Marketing • Engagement strategy for ACT public sector • ACT public sector policy work • Service Evaluation • Health of the ACT Survey – additional questions on workplace health

23. Achieve a work/life balance

24. National soft infrastructure • Joint Statement of Commitment - Promoting Good Health at Work • Healthy Workers Quality Framework - Principles for Promoting Good Health at Work - Healthy Lifestyle Provider Registration - Healthy Lifestyle Program Registration • Healthy Workers web portal • National Awards Program

26. Useful links and apps • Swap It: http://swapit.gov.au/resources/downloads • iPhone app that rates nearly 20,000 supermarket items with red, orange or green ratings for their fat, sugar and salt content: http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/smartphone-apps/phone-app-gives-consumers-green-light-on-food-buys-20120117-1q4sy.html#ixzz1jmeZYb9n • NHS website for couch to 5k:  http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/couch-to-5k.aspx • ACT Workplace Health and Wellbeing e-newsletter: http://health.act.gov.au/health-services/population-health/health-promotion-branch/healthy-workers/

27. Your feedback • Who is doing what? • How are programs informed? • Any innovative approaches? • Challenges/barriers? • Data collection? • Interest in sharing learnings? • Interest in joining WorkSafe ACT network? Mentoring? Case studies?

28. Thank you Questions? merryn.hare@act.gov.au 02 6205 1107