Health and Safety
Executive / Commission
Health, work and well-being
Launched in October 2005, Health, work and well-being is a cross-departmental government programme to improve the health and well-being of people of working age.
Health, work and well-being is a crucial part of delivering on the Government’s commitment to improving the health and well-being of the working age population. This is a central element of the wider welfare reform agenda and builds on the Government’s White Paper 'Choosing Health: making Healthier Choices Easier' and the Health and Safety Commission's Strategy for Workplace Health and Safety.
Health, work and well-being is a cross departmental partnership between the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department of Health, the Health and Safety Executive, the Scottish Executive and the Welsh Assembly Government. The programme aims to help reduce health inequalities and social exclusion by demonstrating clearly that work helps people maintain and possibly improve their overall personal health and well-being.
The aim is to prevent people becoming injured or ill; keep them healthy in work and provide accessible support to enable them to remain in or return to work more quickly.
Speaking at a recent event in Sheffield, Health and Safety Minister Lord McKenzie said
"The figures speak for themselves:
The impact on the economy, on the health service and on society is obvious. This is why government has had to act and for probably the first time it is acting together on this. The Strategy is led jointly by DWP, the Department of Health, the Health and Safety Executive and our health colleagues from Scotland and Wales."
The programme aims:
Jonathan Rees, Deputy Chief Executive (Policy) says,
"Health and safety has a crucial role to play in reducing the enormous burden of days lost each year to occupational ill-health and injury and the consequent costs to the economy, by preventing work-related illness and injury and improving rehabilitation and return to work support."
A number of HSE’s initiatives contribute to the overall aims of the programme including:
On March 17th National Director for Health and Work, Dame Carol Black published 'Working for a healthier tomorrow' [2.3MB]
, her review of the health of the working age population. The review was commissioned jointly by Department of Work and Pensions and the Department of Health and examines the impact that ill health has on government, the economy and society. HSE and the core Health, Work and Wellbeing departments worked closely with Dame Carol on the review, and we will be involved in the Government’s formal response on the recommendations it made.
This year the Health Work Wellbeing team is delighted to have sponsored two awards - one regional and one national. The aim is to identify and recognise companies for good practice in improving employees' health and well-being.
The regional Business in the Community award is now closed. Twenty organisations were successful in applying for this award, which was presented at regional events around the country during June 2007. Details will be updated to the Health Work Wellbeing web site shortly.
The 2007 finalists for the National Business Awards have been announced please see list of Health Work Wellbeing finalists here:
For more information on the Health Work Wellbeing programme, please visit health-and-work.gov.uk.
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions John Hutton today announced a comprehensive review of the health of the working age population…providing a benchmark against which to measure future workplace health improvements. It will be led by Dame Carol Black, the National Director for Health and Work.