Health and Well Being

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Thursday 31st March 2011, Royal Society - London, 09:00 - 16:10

Health and Well Being: Improving Productivity Through Employee Wellbeing

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Overview

The annual cost to the economy of lost working days, now stands at over £100 billion. In 2006 over 175 million working days were missed due to ill health and this staggering figure shows no sign of abating. With the ongoing drive to reduce public spending and increase efficiency, a healthy workforce is vital.

At a time of uncertainty for the public sector, it is critical that organisations implement effective workforce management systems that meet the needs of an evolving workforce. In 2008 Dame Carol Black published her widely respected report into health and well-being. ‘Working for a Healthier Tomorrow’ found that the government should launch a major drive to promote understanding of the positive relationship between health and work. Additional recommendations include the introduction of a ‘Fit Note’ to encourage individuals to return to work.

The recession and wide-spread reductions in public expenditure continues to have a detrimental effect on the workforce and wider public’s health. Positive mental health is strongly linked to the work-place, employment is good for both mental and physical health. Equally, those out of work have an increased likelihood of obesity, suicide and disability. A report published by MIND in 2010 found that 1 in 10 workers were suffering from stress and anxiety with many seeking treatment.

Agenda

This timely and topical forum will examine the key on-going challenges in improving the health and well-being of the population. Sessions will examine the strategies to promote the health of the work-force and the wider public. Delegates will discuss the measures needed to assist individuals to re-enter and stay in employment and how to ensure the economic and social benefits of a healthy society are considered when developing legislation.

09:00	Registration and Coffee
09:40	Chair’s Welcome Address Professor Amanda Howe, Honorary Secretary, Royal College of General Practitioners (CONFIRMED)
09:50	Morning Keynote: Building a Healthy Workforce How does a healthy workforce benefit performance and productivity? Strategies for moving individuals off sickness benefit and into employment Improving employment opportunities for those with health conditions Measures taken to improve productivity and reducing sickness absence Ensuring support and access to occupational health services in the early stages of sickness The role of rehabilitation support in encouraging individuals to return to work Dr Bill Gunnyeon CBE, Director, Health, Work and Wellbeing and Chief Medical Advisor, Department for Work and Pensions (CONFIRMED)
10:10	Question and Answer Session
10:20	Managing Employee Wellbeing in Times of Organisational Change Effect of organisational change on employee health and wellbeing Role of Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) in improving employee wellbeing Proactive intervention – Identifying employee health and wellbeing issues and building resilience Importance of employee engagement for successful workplace wellbeing Jenny Lanyon, Head of Clinical and Service Development, PPC Worldwide (CONFIRMED)
10:40	Economic Cost of Poor Health in Working Age Individuals The economic and social cost of poor health The impact of reductions in public spending and the recession on health and well-being The impact of an ageing population – ensuring long-term health Investing in health services to meet the needs of all groups Linking good health with workplace productivity A health economy – the role of effective leadership to promote good health Thomas Cawston, Researcher, Reform (CONFIRMED)
11:00	Question and Answer Session
11:20	Coffee Break and Networking
11:50	Strategies for Improving Public Health Improving patient choice – access to health services Increasing employment opportunities for people with learning disabilities Strategies for ensuring health in the workplace Recognising the positive health benefits of return to work schemes The link between unemployment and health inequalities The link between the length of unemployment and likelihood of re-entering the work place Graeme Henderson, Head, Health and Work, Health Improvement and Protection Directorate, Department of Health (CONFIRMED)
12:10	A Healthy Workforce - What Can Employers do Engage their People? How can we create space to engage people on health as well as everything else? How can we reach different people in different jobs within the work force? What is the role of the FDF? The responsibility deal what does it mean to Kellogg’s? Bruce Learner, Corporate Responsibility Manager, Kellogg’s (CONFIRMED)
12:30	Question and Answer Session
12:50	Lunch and Networking
13:50	Case Study – Health in the Workplace Measures to reduce absence due to ill health Ensuring the health and safety of the workforce Identifying staff members at risk of leaving employment due to sickness absence Supporting employees to return to work Helping employees manage health conditions Effective workplace health management Sarah Sheppard, Director of Workforce, NHS North Staffordshire (CONFIRMED)
14:10	Impact on Depression – Early Intervention in the Workplace The costs to employers of doing nothing The ‘Return on Investment’ for money invested in workplace health and wellbeing initiatives Finding a suitable programme to support early intervention Evaluating a training programme to train staff and managers to identify the early warning signs of mental health in the workplace Improving Manager’s willingness to engage with employees, experiencing common mental health conditions Building Manager’s confidence to open up supportive dialogues with employees, experiencing common mental health problems Sharon De Mascia, Programme Manager, Impact on Depression, The Centre for Mental Health (CONFIRMED)
14:30	Questions and Answers Session
14:45	Coffee Break and Networking
15:10	Impact of Employment on Mental Health The link between employment and mental health The cost to productivity caused by lost worked days from mental health problems The impact of the recession on workplace mental health Prevention and support - reducing workplace related stress, early intervention and prompt access to health services Emma Mamo, Policy and Campaigns Manager, Mind (CONFIRMED)
15:30	Promoting a Healthy Workforce The measures needed to reduce sickness absence in the workplace Improving the provision of occupational health services Reform of Health and Safety Legislation Tackling barriers to return to work – ensuring access to support Impact of removing the compulsory retirement age The impact of the recession and work-place reform on staff health and well-being Frances O’Grady, Deputy General Secretary, TUC (CONFIRMED)
15:50	Questions and Answers Session
16:10	Chair's Summary and Close

*programme subject to change without notice

Exhibitor

Healthshield

Audience

Delegates will include heads and directors of health divisions, human resource heads and directors, health and safety teams, absence managers, welfare and well-being teams, risk managers, heads of training, heads of operations, occupational health managers, contact centre managers and be drawn from public central government departments and agencies, local authorities, criminal justice, health and education sectors, insurance companies, legal practices and advocacy organisations, businesses and employers, academia, the third sector and the private sector.