Search Results for: healthcare

Over 90 percent of UK staff afflicted with bad case of presenteeism

Clocking inWe’ve always known that many of us have a tendency to come into work when ill even though we would  be better off staying at home, but the problem of people turfing up in the office when they should be in bed or a GP’s queue is worsening according to a new report from insurance company Canada Life. Knocking into a cocked hat all the various surveys which detail the UK’s ‘working days lost’ due to stress?snow/The World Cup/hangovers and idleness, the survey claims that as many as 93 per cent of UK employees have hauled their diseased carcass into the workplace when they really shouldn’t, threatening their own health and the wellbeing of those around them.

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Employers missing employee health and productivity link

Employers missing health & productivity link

Only a minority of employers understand the productivity benefits of their health and wellbeing initiatives, new research reveals. Towers Watson’s latest Health, Wellbeing and Productivity survey found that 66 per cent of employers thought the link between health and employee performance was a relatively limited part of their health and wellbeing programme, with the main drivers being the desire to be seen as a responsible employer and the need to focus on more preventative health measures to manage rising healthcare and disability costs. More →

Tax breaks for work health schemes welcomed

sodexo workplace trends edit

The inclusion in the 2013 Budget of plans to include tax breaks for employers to run health initiatives that help encourage those on sick leave back to work has been welcomed by health and wellbeing experts. The Chancellor has announced that the Government would introduce a targeted tax relief, so amounts up to £500 paid by employers on recommended schemes are not treated as a taxable benefit in kind. The Government’s decision follows recommendations made in its report, ‘Health at work – an independent review of sickness absence’, released in January.

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US wellness programmes failing to impact the bottom line

The-Bottom-LineA new study from researchers in the United States has indicated for the first time that the benefits of workplace wellness programmes may not be reaching the bottom line of organisations as much as is commonly claimed. The results of the research were published this week in the peer reviewed Health Affairs journal. The researchers followed a wellness programme at a hospital in St Louis and found that, while the numbers of hospitalisations for employees and their family members fell by over 40 per cent on a specific set of conditions, the savings were more than offset by the increased costs of the scheme.

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American Institute of Architects opens design and health project

Via Verde

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is working with the Clinton Global Initiative and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Advanced Urbanism (CAU) to examine the relationships between design, urbanism, and public health. The collaboration is part of the AIA’s Decade of Design Commitment to Action, which aims to make positive changes through design in the global urban environment. Alexander d’Hooghe, director of the MIT CAU explained: “We are investigating the scale of urban design, architecture, as well as planning, in relation to health today, whether related to obesity, or to climate change.” More →

Leading architect appointed to new Obama administration

graves

Leading architect and designer Michael Graves has joined President Obama’s new administration. Graves, who is a wheelchair user, has been appointed to the United States’ Access Board, an independent Federal agency that provides leadership in accessible design. He said: “I am honoured to have been appointed to the United States Access Board by President Obama. When I became paralyzed, I realized that as an architect and designer, and then a patient, I had a unique perspective. As a result, I became passionate about using this perspective to improve healthcare and accessibility through design projects.” More →

Ban team building exercises for a feel good Friday

workplace relationships

Anyone who hates team building exercises will welcome a survey published by Samaritans and Simplyhealth today, which reveals that at 4%, the least popular option for making people feel good at work is team activities, including away days. When asked to select their top two factors, 42% of workers felt that positive relationships helped them to feel good at work, compared with a mere 14% for hitting their targets. The poll of more than 1,400 workers found having a good work-life balance was the second (40%) most common reason for feeling good at work followed by receiving praise (26%).

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Global FM announces strategic vision & FM award winners

Global FM

Global FM, (Global Facility Management Association) has formalised changes to its strategic plan. It follows the recommendations of a special Taskforce set up last year to evaluate the structure, objectives and activities of the association, a worldwide federation of member-centric organisations representing the facilities management profession. The Association explains the taskforce was: “In agreement that a more simplified structure would allow a better use of resources focussing on activities that create added value for the association and its members and avoiding any duplication of the outcomes of the national FM associations.”

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Gulf developments are talking the big numbers

Following the announcement at the end of last year from the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, that the emirate was to build what it called a new city within its borders, the Government of neighbouring Abu Dhabi has announced that it plans to spend around £56bn on capital projects over the next five years as it seeks to restructure its economy to reduce its reliance on the oil and gas industry. Abu Dhabi is the largest emirate state and its investment marks a significant shift in the economic focus of the region.  More →