Labour Health and Safety

Workplace Health Promotion

Anne Veldhuis, Bernice Veldsema, Patty Haisma, Henriëtte Rus

University of applied sciences Groningen, The Netherlands

5 main questions:

• What is the meaning of WHP? • What is the relationship between health and work? • Facts and figures about health and work in The

Netherlands• How can we explain health inequalities?• Workplace health promotion programmes

Anne Veldhuis & Bernice Veldsema Patty Haisma & Henriëtte Rus

What is the meaning of WHP?

• ‘Work health promotion means that employers, employees and society joint commitment to the health and wellbeing in their workplace to improve’

• What does the setting approach of WHP reference to Europe and Dutch regulations?

• The definition of the Ottawa Charter for health promotion

Anne Veldhuis & Bernice Veldsema Patty Haisma & Henriëtte Rus

What is the relationship between health and work?

• Models of Good Practice

• Great Place To Work

• Investors in People

Anne Veldhuis & Bernice Veldsema Patty Haisma & Henriëtte Rus

Facts & figures about health & work

• Work is the biggest cause of stress with 39%, in the second place is the family

• Every year there are 13,5 million working days lost because of stress, depression or anxiety

• The absenteeism rate in The Netherlands is 4%

• Women miss an average 3% more than men

• After Denmark , The Netherlands has the largest employmentAnne Veldhuis & Bernice Veldsema Patty Haisma & Henriëtte Rus

Facts & figures about health & work• Employees esp. affected by bad health conditions

- heavy physical labor

• Work-related illnesses- posture and locomotor mental and healing disorders

Anne Veldhuis & Bernice Veldsema Patty Haisma & Henriëtte Rus

How can we explain health inequalities?

• Why is being healthy so important?

• Influence on health in the Netherlands by:– Gender– Income– Estate

Anne Veldhuis & Bernice Veldsema Patty Haisma & Henriëtte Rus

Workplace Health Promotion programmes

• Healthy food in the canteen• Fitness at work• Possibility to sport in the lunch break• Compensate preventive medical examinations • Provide information

Most effective method: combinationAnne Veldhuis & Bernice Veldsema

Patty Haisma & Henriëtte Rus

Role of the EU in WHP

EU-OSHA: the main EU reference point for safety and health at work

• Central provider of information• Analyze• Anticipate• Identify & share information

Healthy workplaces campaign

Anne Veldhuis & Bernice Veldsema Patty Haisma & Henriëtte Rus

QUESTIONS?

Anne Veldhuis & Bernice Veldsema Patty Haisma & Henriëtte Rus

Thank you for your attention!