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Workplace health and wellbeing

Promoting Good Work in Auckland

Health and work are fundamentally interconnected. People’s work and their workplace have a direct and positive impact on their health and wellbeing - either positive or negative.

Work impacts people’s wellbeing - the length of hours, the adequacy of the pay, the level of mental and physical stress, job security, the commute, whether the job is sedentary or physically demanding, even what food is available.

We envision a future where employers demonstrate a commitment to improving their workplaces for the health and wellbeing of their workforce.

Lifting the wellbeing of workers requires influencing and changing policies, strengthening relationships and providing resources. Fulfilling obligations to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and reducing health inequities are fundamental to the work of the workplace health and wellbeing team.

 

Good Work supports health
  • Improving financial wellbeing and lifting people out of poverty
  • Providing security for people and whānau
  • Widening social networks
  • Providing opportunities for personal development
  • Providing work life balance
  • Providing a sense of identity, self-esteem and purpose

There is no one definition of Good Work. There are many factors that determine whether work is good or bad for health.

These factors relate to employment terms and conditions; workplace practices, environment and culture; quality of work; as well as more personal factors such as having job satisfaction and feeling valued.

Source: Carnegie UK Trust, 2016 Work and wellbeing Exploring data on inequalities

“Decent work involves opportunity for work  that is productive and delivers a fair income, security in the workplace and social protection for families; better prospects for personal development and social integration; freedom for people to express their concerns, organise and participate in the decisions that affect their lives; and equality of opportunity.”

Commission on Social Determinants of Health (2008)

 

The Workplace Health and Wellbeing team have prioritised four key industry sectors within the Auckland Region as a focus for our work:

  1. Manufacturing
  2. Construction
  3. Service (including retail and hospitality)
  4. Health and aged care
  1. Promoting best practice approaches to workplace health and wellbeing
  2. Participating in national public health groups to support and advocate for workplace health and wellbeing
  3. Influencing public policy to improve conditions which impact on workplace health and wellbeing
  4. Developing a monitoring framework for workplace health and wellbeing in Tāmaki Makaurau
  5. Recruiting champions to act as change advocates for workplace health and wellbeing.

Last updated 22.11.2022

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