Small businesses challenged to take steps to improve employees’ health

Small businesses across Northern Ireland have taken up a challenge from the Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland (HPA) to improve the health of their employees and walk their way to achieving a more active and healthier workforce.

Those involved in the HPA’s workplace health pilot initiative, Work Well, have been pounding the pavements during the month of April in a step-o-meter challenge.

Julie Hill, Health Promoting Workplaces Coordinator for the HPA announced the results of the challenge: “The step-o-meter challenge is a fun way of getting employees of each organisation more physically active as part of the overall Work Well initiative.

“Research shows that using a step-o-meter increases motivation to walk and to increase steps on a daily basis¹. Indeed, with 75% of the population in Northern Ireland classified as physically inactive or sedentary, this is the more serious side to the challenge².

“The Work Well initiative encourages employers to go above and beyond the statutory obligations of health and safety in the workplace by developing a healthy working environment, establishing policies to support health and providing accessible activities which positively influence the health and wellbeing of all staff.”

Work-related injuries, ill health and non-injury accidents in Northern Ireland are estimated to cost the economy about £500 million a year³. A health promoting workplace can reduce illness related absenteeism and improve the working atmosphere of the company, which in turn leads to more motivated employees.

Una McGirr, Business Support Manager of the Housing Rights Service, who won the overall company prize said: “Taking part in the step-o-meter challenge has really motivated the staff and helped them think of their health and fitness in the long term. We are delighted to have won the group challenge and hope this will encourage our staff to keep up the exercise.”

The individual winner of the step-o-meter challenge was Laura Foster from the Rhyme Thyme Day Nursery in Ballyclare.

Workplace health and the need to address the health of small businesses have been highlighted through the Working for Health strategy published in March 2003. With 62% of private sector employment being in small businesses (those with less than 50 employees) it is clear this is where Northern Ireland’s economy must focus when looking to improve the health of the workplace⁴.

END

Notes to the editors
The health promoting workplace initiative, Work Well, was launched by the HPA in 2004 and is initially being piloted with around 20 small businesses in the north and east of Northern Ireland.

The initiative provides a grant of £800 to help small businesses assess their organisation and employee health needs and to improve their workplace health over a one year period. The results will be evaluated to help inform how workplace health in small businesses develops in Northern Ireland.

For further information contact
Rosie McGaughey at the HPA Press Office -Tel: 9031 1514 or 9031 1611.
Email: r.mcgaughey@hpani.org.uk

1. President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Research Digest. Taking steps toward increased physical activity: using pedometers to measure and motivate. Series 3, No. 17 June 2002
2. The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA), Health and Social Wellbeing Survey 2001, Belfast, DHSSPS, 2001
3. Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland. The cost of work-related injuries, ill health and non-injury accidents to the Northern Ireland economy. Belfast: HSENI 2002.
4. Small and medium enterprises (SME) Statistics for the United Kingdom 1999. DTI’s Small Business Service, 2000.