Government calls on businesses to take the OH pledge

News | HSW
01.06.2006

Business leaders, government departments and health professionals signed a charter for health, work and wellbeing at a summit in May.

The summit and charter signing were the latest events organised jointly by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the Department of Health (DH) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) under the Health, Work and Wellbeing Strategy banner.

The summit was held a week after the prime minister announced the appointment of Professor Dame Carol Black to the new post of national director for health and work. Black will be responsible for implementing the Health, Work and Wellbeing Strategy, launched last autumn, whose workplace strand involves promoting better occupational health through initiatives such as the HSE's Workplace Health Connect programme (see HSW April, page 5), piloting links between GPs and employment support to assist patients in staying in or returning to work following health problems, and supporting the training of occupational health personnel.

Around 200 people attended the first workplace health summit organised by the trio of government bodies, which was called to discuss ways to implement the strategy. Health and safety minister Lord Hunt said the strategy was "a crucial part of delivering on the government's commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of the working age population, but the government cannot achieve it alone". Health minister Rose Winterton added that creating healthy working environments "has huge implications for individuals, their families, employers and society as a whole. We need to work together to improve health, reduce the ill health caused by work and support those wanting to return to work. This summit is the first step in achieving this goal."

Margaret Hodge, minister for employment and welfare reform at the time, challenged stakeholders not just to sign the charter, but to commit themselves publicly to making the strategy a reality in their respective worlds. However, the DWP and DH were unwilling or unable to confirm the names of any of the initial private sector charter members.

The charter commits those who sign it to work to deliver a vision of a healthier future for working age people, and to work towards implementing the Health, Work and Wellbeing Strategy. It sets out the perceived benefits to workers and employers of achieving this vision, which it sees as a higher quality of life and increased prosperity for workers, and better-motivated and healthy workforces for employers, "achieving greater creativity and business performance". Society will also gain from the charter, it is envisaged, in terms of reduced inequalities through increased economic prosperity, greater stability and the viability of local communities. The charter also states that the strategy will depend on a coordinated approach by all stakeholders to deliver maximum benefits.

Charter members will commit themselves to tackle the root causes of work-related ill health, to manage the consequences of ill health and disability, including the associated stigma, to champion the strategy's aims in their work, and to help people to return to, and remain in work, "including the provision of advice and support".