The government have highlighted Well-being as the key area to improve the state of The Nations’ health.
“Healthy Lives, Healthy People” outlines several key areas that involve the employers taking more of an active role.
This approach by the government has obvious motives. How much it will be implemented and how effective it will be is yet to be seen. I, for one, hope it does work out. Even the Queen’s speech 2010 got involved in the "healthy nation" act.
Some questions that go round in my head are: "Do company directors care about the whole nations health?", "Do company directors care about their own employees health?", "Do firms invest in wellbeing due to a government white paper like this, or do they invest because they see a return on their investment?"
What this kind of initiative does is add to the motives for investing in an Employee Wellbeing Program. As well as noticing an improvement in sick-leave, productivity, morale and a decrease in staff turnover; therefore cost avoidence and savings, this white paper highlights the Corporate Social Responsibility that companies, particularly PLC’s have to fulfil.
It also happens to take some of the strain on rescources that the NHS has to deal with. If employers are looking after the wellbeing of their employees, with the help of private sector third parties, the NHS don’t have to.
Employee wellbeing programs seems to be a winner for all involved. An increase in companies bottom line profits, a decrease in the strains of the NHS resource and a big pat on the back for the company contributing to the improvment of the whole nation’s health, and fulfilling their CSR.
It’s a bit like the CSR policy of reducing the number of plastic carrier bags being used. Companies now charge for plastics bags, which will decrease usage (tick in the box), but it will also provide a revenue stream that was previously non-existant. It will also decrease the costs involved of producing plastic bags, because less are being made and just for good measure, companies produce a brand new product called the "bag for life", which they will make a nice margain on, and gain free advertising on the side of them. In the words of one of my favourite entrepreneur Derrick Trotter, "It’s money for old rope, luvely jubbly!"
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