THEY say good things come in threes, and employers in Wales can now benefit from a trio of exciting new, free products designed to improve workplace health and wellbeing.

The new resources were officially announced this morning at Healthy Working Wales’ (HWW) new free services launch event in Cardiff. HWW is a national programme, funded by Welsh Government and delivered by Public Health Wales, that supports employers across Wales to create healthier, happier workplaces.

Evidence shows that workplace health and wellbeing is strongly linked with organisational success, including improved productivity, better recruitment and retention, along with lower sickness absence and staff turnover,

HWW works by focusing on healthy environments and cultures, promoting health-improving behaviours, and supporting employees with sickness absence and chronic conditions. Many of Wales’s biggest employers, such as Admiral and Dŵr Cymru work with HWW to improve and protect the health of their workforces and increase their overall productivity.

HWW’s new, free products are:

  • HWW Employer Survey Tool. Enables employers to assess their current approach to workplace health and wellbeing and get clear advice, feedback and suggested next steps to strengthen their workplace wellbeing strategy.
  • Workplace Adviser Support. Allows employers to access one-to-one, virtual support sessions from HWW’s Workplace Advisers to get simple ideas, tools and plans that they can put into action straight away in their workplace.
  • Peer Mentoring Programme. Helps employers across Wales to connect and share real-world experiences, practical knowledge and proven approaches to workplace health and wellbeing.

Oliver Williams, Consultant Lead for Healthy Working Wales, said: “Healthy Working Wales is committed to providing employers in Wales with practical, achievable actions that they can take to improve, and protect, the health and wellbeing of the Welsh workforce. These new products will give employers the knowledge and skills they need to do this, boosting both the health and productivity of their businesses.”

Sarah Murphy MS, Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, said:

“Supporting the mental health and wellbeing of people in the workplace is a key priority for Welsh Government. We know that when employees feel valued and supported at work, it benefits not just their own wellbeing, but creates healthier, more productive organisations across Wales. These new resources from Healthy Working Wales provide employers with practical, accessible tools to make a real difference to their workforce.”

Today’s launch event was attended by employers from across Wales such as Admiral. Sarah Murphy MS, Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, shared the Welsh Government’s vision for workplace wellbeing, while Professor Jim McManus, National Director of Health and Wellbeing at Public Health Wales, spoke on the importance of creating healthy, supportive workplaces.

Paul Billington from Admiral provided a success story [link] with a real-life example of workplace health tools making a difference in Wales. Emily Van De Venter, Consultant in Public Health, talked about recent research by the Mental Health and Wellbeing Team on 16–24-year-olds’ mental health. This was followed by a solution-focused workshop on practical ideas for how organisations in Wales can better support young people (ages 16–24) in the workplace.

With proven links between workplace health and wellbeing and organisational success (including improved productivity, better recruitment and retention, and lower sickness absence), HWW’s free new products offer employers in Wales some much-needed support in these uncertain economic times.

Williams added: “We encourage employers across Wales to take advantage of these exciting, new and free workplace health and wellbeing resources. The recent Keep Britain Working Review indicates employers lose, on average, £120 per day in profit from sickness absences, but are uniquely placed to help prevent poor health. It's therefore the perfect time to take action and engage with Healthy Working Wales for your workplace wellbeing needs.”