Press Release

EMPLOYEE HEALTH – A BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

20 February 2008

A healthy and committed workforce is the foundation to business success. Health Secretary Alan Johnson today called on all employers to do more to promote the health and wellbeing of their staff. Business Action on Health is a group set up by Business in the Community to increase UK business competitiveness through investing in employee health. Standard Life Healthcare, a member of the campaign leadership team, believes it has lifted productivity 25% in the last four years by promoting healthy working practices.

Louise Aston, Director, Business Action on Health said: “Well people who are well managed will result in a healthy organisation where employees are engaged and productive, helping to drive your business and the bottom line. The Business Action on Health campaign supports the Government’s Health, Work and Wellbeing Strategy by promoting the business case for companies to invest in health as a boardroom issue. The campaign has committed itself to raise measuring and reporting of employee health among FTSE 100 companies from the current rate of 7% to 75% by 2011. “

There is an urgent need for resources to support companies devise and manage effective workplace health programmes and communicate these initiatives to employees and other stakeholder audiences. The campaign has developed resources to meet that need, including ‘Wealth from Health’ which makes the robust business case using four generic key performance indicators that define a healthy workplace. The campaign has also created a Healthy Workplaces Action Pack, with support from Towers Perrin the global HR consultancy, a step-bystep guide to help companies develop and maintain a sustainable workplace programme.