Www.hertsdirect.org Public Health and Employers: The Hertfordshire Public Health Offer Tom May...
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www.hertsdirect .org Public Health and Employers: The Hertfordshire Public Health Offer Tom May Health Improvement Specialist 14 th November 2013
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Transcript of Www.hertsdirect.org Public Health and Employers: The Hertfordshire Public Health Offer Tom May...
www.hertsdirect.org
Public Health and Employers: The Hertfordshire Public Health Offer
Tom May
Health Improvement Specialist
14th November 2013
www.hertsdirect.org
www.hertsdirect.org
The Problem
• Increasing non-communicable disease
– Smoking, obesity
• Increasing mental ill health
• Increasing sickness absence and sick pay
• Increasing loss to business productivity and performance
• Aging workforce
• Avoidable cost of managing and replacing sick and absent staff
www.hertsdirect.org
Where’s the evidence?
Established relationship between lifestyle related risk factors (smoking, inactivity, obesity) and productivity absenteeism and health claims.
• (Buron et al,2005, Wellsource, 2006 & University of Michigan, 2006)
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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
www.hertsdirect.org
Why should you 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.
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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;47:769-77 (n = 28,375))
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Smoking
• Hertfordshire Stop Smoking Service
• Free phone: 0800 389 3 998
• Website: www.smokefreehertfordshire.nhs.uk
• Tobacco Control Advice
• Community Stop Smoking Support
• Information and Resources
www.hertsdirect.org
Physical Activity
• Business Travel Plan Support
• Health Walks
• Exercise Referral
• Walks and More
• Local Leisure Providers
• Community Exercise Opportunities
• Sports Club Signposting
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Healthy Eating / Weight Management
• Healthy Eating Resources
• Healthy Eating Toolkit
• NHS advice
• Commercial Weight Management Companies
• Buy in employee support
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Mental Health
• Signposting to policies on managing stress in the workplace
• Resources: Information and leaflets
• Self care information
• Support organisations
- MIND
- Guidepost Trust
• Access to psychological support for people with mild to moderate depression and anxiety disorders
www.hertsdirect.org
Next Steps
• Have an ongoing dialogue with employers
• Health MOT’s
• Workplace Health Champions
- Accredited RSPH course for employees
• Mental Health training course
• Help share best practice
• ‘Toolbox’ approach
