Chesterfield based motor group, Autoworld, has been chosen as one of only a few employers in the region to pilot the NHS Choices ‘Workplace Health’ initiatives - set up to look at how health is affected by differing working environments. In turn, it will highlight how support and advice can be given to help to reduce health inequalities at work. Autoworld, which has 11 franchises located across its sites on Brimington Road North and Station Road employing 250 staff, meets the NHS Choices pilot criteria, as the company employs a good cross section of employees in different roles and working environments. A wide range of different potential physical and mental health issues should therefore present themselves, and the company will learn how best to address them to keep its workforce as healthy and happy as possible.
The main objectives of NHS Choices are to help employers and employees to lead healthier lives, avoid accident and injury, and cope with the stresses and strains of the modern working environment. The first part of the pilot scheme took the form of a focus group at Autoworld, attended by around 20 staff from range of departments such as IT, sales, after sales and the service centre. From this focus group the NHS Choices team will evaluate the best ways in which to deliver support to Autoworld’s employees.
Mark Hancock, group sales manager for Autoworld, says: "We are delighted to have been selected to take part in this prestigious pilot as our staff are our most important resource and our greatest asset. We feel we will learn a lot from the process and our own staff will benefit tremendously. As we are one of the first companies to be selected, it’s also nice to know that we are at the leading edge of research into workplace health issues, that could soon be implemented across the country as best practice is adopted.
"We had already started to implement a ‘health in the workplace’ strategy, with the appointment of our personnel officer, Sarah Rircroft, as Autoworld’s ‘workplace health trainer’ recently. Once the NHS Choices initiative is implemented, it will serve directly to support her role and help her provide better health education and support to our staff. The recent focus group was a very positive start to the process, with everyone keen to get as much out of it as possible".
Once the NHS choices team has assessed Autoworld’s staff needs, it is expected that an information point or kiosk will be available to employees in the New Year, providing access to NHS information and services related to all aspects of health and wellbeing.
In a recent study carried out by The Department for Work and Pensions, it was found that the average level of recorded absence through sickness is 10.3 days per employee per year. This, they estimate costs the economy £103 billion per annum. The Choices pilot looks to create tailored health strategy approaches for different workforces, as evidence suggests that the illness suffered by employees can vary enormously from industry to industry. With the assistance of businesses like Autoworld, the NHS hopes to develop a business case and ultimately implement health and wellbeing programmes in the UK workplace; staff absence days could be reduced across the country, and the NHS could save many millions of pounds from not having to deal with often avoidable work-related ailments and conditions.
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Ref: AW003 – NHS Choices
