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OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK

The importance of Occupational Health for businesses and organisations across the UK.

Occupational Health Awareness Week

Today is the start of Occupational Health Awareness Week organised by The Society of Occupational Medicine and COHPA. The main aim of the campaign is to help employers to get a better understanding of Occupational Health and show how investing in it can make a positive difference to their business overall. Some employers already invest in the health and wellbeing of their workforce and are reaping the benefits, but with only 45% of workers in Great Britain having access, OH is still not being utilised to its full potential. SMEs are currently five times less likely than large businesses to have OH support in place, therefore this year Occupational Health Awareness Week is emphasizing the importance of Occupational Health for small and medium-sized businesses in particular.


what is occupational health?


Occupational health is a specialist branch of medicine focusing on both the physical and mental health of staff in the workplace. It is a two-way relationship, which looks at how a person’s work affects their health and how their health affects their work. Occupational health establishes what impact work has on employees’ health and ensures they are fit to undertake the role they are employed to do both physically and emotionally.


Occupational Health (OH) maintains the wellbeing of employees, preventing and removing ill-health and developing solutions to keep staff with health issues at work.

- The Society of Occupational Medicine


Man in the factory working thanks to Occupational Health

WHY USE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH?


There are three key reasons why employers should provide access to Occupational Health services for their employees:

  • Legal - to comply with health and safety laws and regulations

  • Moral - it is the right, ethical and socially responsible thing to do

  • Financial - to reduce costs and add value to the business


Having a workplace Occupational Health service in place gives employers rapid access to professional specialist advice which can help protect, retain, and support staff with health issues in the workplace. This in turn can support the success and prosperity of businesses and organisations by increasing workforce productivity and reducing both the direct and indirect costs associated with sickness absence, presenteeism, staff turnover and recruitment, as well as training replacements.



CORAZON HEALTH SUPPORTING OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK



On Thursday, 21st September at 11am, Corazon Health and Cambridge Network are holding a webinar 'What is Occupational Health and why should companies be considering OH provision?' to help employers to gain a better understanding of the role OH plays in protecting and promoting employee health, increasing workforce productivity, as well as creating a healthy workplace culture. In light of the recent publication of the UK Government’s consultation exploring the role of tax incentives, subsidies and other measures in boosting the uptake of occupational health provision by employers, this is a key moment to learn more about the OH industry and recognise its value to employees, businesses, and the wider economy. Click here to find out more about the webinar and register today.



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