Incentives would make work health a bigger priority

A survey of more than 1,400 GPs, businesses and consumers by Norwich Union Healthcare found two thirds (64%) of businesses believed their employees' well-being had a direct impact on productivity.

However a third (33%) failed to invest more in the health of their staff due to a lack of Government incentives, while a quarter (24%) did not know know where to access occupational health information - rising to 43% among small businesses.

Small and medium-sized firms said they would spend money on rehabilitation schemes for their staff if they were offered subsidised occupational healthcare or tax incentives.

'Guidance gap'

Dr Douglas Wright of Norwich Union Healthcare said: "Our report reveals a real 'guidance gap' in employers' approach to workplace health.

"Companies know the value of workplace health but many are unaware of the services already available to them and believe that more financial incentives are needed to encourage a better approach to occupational health."

John Wright, chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said small firms did not have the benefit of large HR departments in charge of workplace health, and needed more support on this front.

He said: "There is belief that if the Government becomes more proactive in terms of providing financial incentives to small businesses, their occupational health offering would improve."

Mutual responsibility

The majority of businesses (79%) believed they had a "duty of care" when it came to their employees' health, and most businesses (82%) and employees (69%) agreed that responsibility for health in the workplace was "mutual".

Over half of employees (59%) agreed with businesses that employers should be more proactive in terms of providing workplace health solutions.

The research also showed that employers thought doctors ought to do more to help them deal with workplace health, and be more strict when it came to issuing sick notes.

Sickness absence was considered the most pressing workplace health concern - by 40% of companies - followed by the ageing workforce (20%).