What does healthy work look like?

A Populus^[1] survey commissioned by the London Assembly Health Committee, has revealed some surprising attitudes from Londoners to the health of their workplaces.

• The average London firm of 250 employees loses £250,000 a year due to sickness absence. ^[2]
• In 2014/15 stress accounted for 35% of all work-related ill health cases and 43% of all working days lost to ill health.^[3]
• Half of all employees with a longstanding physical or mental health condition have hidden it from their employer.
• 1 in 10 Londoners arrives home feeling exhausted from work every single day.
• Only 40% of low paid employees feel their employer would support them if they had to take time off for a mental illness, compared to 59% of higher paid employees.

Work plays a key role in keeping people in good physical and mental health. Those out of work experience poorer physical and mental health, consult their GP more, and have higher death rates.^[4] Returning to work after a period of unemployment is shown to improve the health status of all age groups.^[5]

Today the London Assembly Health Committee publishes a report focusing on how to improve workplace health.

Key findings:

• Healthy work is not just the avoidance of harmful work practices, but the creation of positive wellbeing within workplaces and workforces.
• Autonomy and job security are key principles of healthy work.
• We need to challenge the idea that there will always be some bad or unhealthy jobs.

The Mayor should:

• Commission research on healthy work in lower-paid sectors
• Explore the reasons for poor health outcomes at work for the 55-64 age bracket
• Update the Healthy Schools London programme to help young people recognise healthy and unhealthy work.
• Set out how the Healthy Workplace Charter can be expanded to a far greater number of employers
• Push for greater management training that emphasises healthy workplace management
• Support networks of smaller businesses to work together to realise health benefits at a cross-organisational level.

Dr Onkar Sahota AM, Chair of the Health Committee, said:

“As a GP, I am very aware that health is not just the absence of illness, but it's also the state of wellbeing. Not everyone will be lucky enough to love their job – but a job should not make an employee unwell. There is much work to be done on the issue of workplace health and the sooner we address the problems – the better.

Employers have a duty to proactively develop healthy working practices, environments and cultures to ensure their employees can flourish and always feel supported.

The Mayor should especially target employers within low paid sectors to help tackle health inequalities for London’s most economically vulnerable workers.”

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