We envision a future where workplaces demonstrate a commitment to improving the wellbeing of their workplace, in order to improve the health and wellbeing of their workforce, their whanau, and the wider community.
The Workplace Health and Wellbeing Team is part of the wider Health Improvement Team. We promotes best practice tools and supports workplace systems and policies which have a positive impact on people’s health and wellbeing. There is a particular interest in strengthening the workplace environment and addressing the health inequities linked to workplace wellbeing.
Together with key partners, the team promotes the online workplace wellbeing tool Good4Work.
The team’s work on workplace wellbeing is driven by evidence and literature, which follows the World Health Organization (WHO) ‘model for action on healthy workplaces’ and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines on ‘workplace health: management practices’.
The World Health Organization says:
“a healthy workplace is one in which workers and managers collaborate to use a continual improvement process to protect and promote the health, safety and wellbeing of all workers and the sustainability of the workplace. They do this by considering the following, based on identified needs:
- health and safety concerns in the physical work environment;
- health, safety and wellbeing concerns in the psychosocial work environment, including organisation of work and workplace culture;
- personal health resources in the workplace; and
- ways of participating in the community to improve the health of workers, their families and other members of the community.”
Source: World Health Organization (2010), Healthy workplaces: a model for action: for employers, workers, policymakers and practitioners.
We spend a third of our time at work, so it’s very important that our workplace is a healthy place to be. Workplaces are a determinant of health, not an outcome, making them one of the most influential settings to promote wellbeing. Healthy workplaces can help people achieve a better quality of life, improve health equity, and help improve long term health outcomes.
The benefits of a healthy workplace extend beyond the individual to the business and to society and go further than compliance with workplace health and safety legislation.
Work should be a positive experience for people, and should not damage their health. Workplaces should apply a holistic approach to the wellbeing of staff, and consider their physical, social and psychological needs, in addition to their usual considerations.
Current projects:
- Promotion of Best Practice Tools
One of our key aims is to increase awareness of the benefits of prioritising workplace wellbeing and thereby increasing awareness and utilisation of best practice tools for businesses in Auckland. We wish to do this by developing and strengthening partnerships with businesses, capturing their workplace wellbeing stories, and understanding their utilisation and impact of these tools.
We are particularly interested in the usage of Good4Work, an online best practice tool for small- to medium-sized enterprises (see next section).
- Monitoring Framework
This will provide a baseline measure of the current state of wellbeing in Auckland, and allow us to track trends overtime. We will be using a number of carefully selected indicators as measures of healthy workplaces, to ensure we capture a broad range of factors that impact workplace health and wellbeing. The project is in its early stages of development; however we hope it will help to shape the focus on workplace wellbeing in workplaces across Auckland.
- Champions Project
We are identifying people and workplaces across Auckland who will be able to advocate for and promote workplace wellbeing. This will help increase awareness of the benefits of prioritising workplace wellbeing in the workplace; making it a key focus for businesses in the region.
Workplaces can create positive work environments at little to or no cost. Good4Work is a free online workplace wellbeing tool for small- to medium-sized workplaces, and businesses starting their workplace wellbeing journey. It is designed to be used by anyone who understands their workplace’s environment, structure and practices, and who can make a difference.
Good4Work starts off with a short quiz to help you assess your current workplace. From this quiz, it creates possible areas of action; selecting a few that your workplace can begin with. You can consult your colleagues and other staff as you work through the recommendations.
Good4Work provides actions in four key areas that have been based on the recommendations from the World Health Organization’s Healthy Workplace Framework and insights from businesses. They are:
- the way we work
- the place we work
- the way we lead
- the way we connect
Good4Work was developed by ARPHS, Health Promotion Agency, Toi Te Ora Public Health Service and Ministry of Health. It includes insights from Healthy Families Lower Hutt and Rotorua, with Fonterra and The Warehouse Group representatives.
Good4Work website: https://www.good4work.nz/
Wellplace is a website run by the Health Promotion Agency. It has been developed to bring together practical ideas, tools and resources for people who are leading workplace wellbeing and wellbeing activities in their workplace.
New Zealand Mental Health Foundation: Five Ways of Wellbeing at Work Toolkit
Workplace Policy Builder (building a health and wellbeing policy for your organisation)