Public Health and Employers: The Hertfordshire Workplace Offer Tom May Health Improvement Officer (Lifestyles) 22 nd April 2014

The Problem Increasing non-infectious disease –Smoking, obesity Increasing mental ill health Increasing sickness absence and sick pay Increasing loss to business productivity and performance Ageing workforce Avoidable cost of managing and replacing sick and absent staff

What does the evidence say? Established relationship between lifestyle related risk factors (smoking, inactivity, obesity) and productivity absenteeism and health claims.

What does this mean for you? High prevalence of major modifiable health risks contributes to the epidemic of chronic disease. – Overweight &Obesity –Inactivity- Smoking –Stress- Elevated blood pressure –Elevated cholesterol- High blood sugar –Alcohol Places an increasing burden on employers: decreased productivity, increased absenteeism, increased health and worker’s compensation claims. Unless we do something is that 2/3 of people will be in chronic ill health or disability before age 68, the new retirement age

Why should businesses care? You’re paying for it The do-nothing strategy of waiting for sickness and then paying for treatment isn’t cost neutral – it costs you Lifestyle related risk factors and behaviours of employees as well as unhealthy work environments and practices drive costs up. High risk employees incur high costs whatever the outcome measure: pharmaceutical, absenteeism, compensation costs or productivity.

Contributors to overall health outcomes Smoking 10% Diet/Exercise 10% Alcohol use 5% Poor sexual health 5% Health Behaviours 30% Education 10% Employment 10% Income 10% Family/Social Support 5% Community Safety 5% Socioeconomic Factors 40% Access to care 10% Quality of care 10% Clinical Care 20% Environmental Quality 5% Built Environment 5% Built Environment 10%

Productivity Decreases with Number of Health Risks Excess Productivity Loss Productivity Loss (%) Base Cost Number of Health Risks (Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2005;47: (n = 28,375))

Workplace Offer Contents Workplace Health Champions Mental Wellbeing and Stress NHS Health checks and Mini MOTs Physical Activity Weight Management Stop Smoking Support Alcohol and Drugs Travel Green, Travel Healthy

For Each Topic Outline of the issue What is our offer Actions for you Sources for more information on the topic

Next Steps Use offer as a ‘Toolbox’ approach Initial ‘first session’ funding available for: - Mini Health MOT’s - Workplace Health Champions - Mental Health Lite training course Devise an action plan Organisation buy in and workforce communication

Contact Details: Tom May E: T: