Big tick winner

Healthy Workplaces, Example of Excellence

AstraZeneca plc - Health & Wellbeing in AstraZeneca

Unum Healthy Workplaces Award 2007 supported by the Department of Health, in association with the Health and Safety Executive

AstraZeneca’s health and well being programme reduces the impact of ill health and creates and promotes a positive and dynamic working environment that helps them attract, develop and retain top talent.

Processes

AstraZeneca is an international healthcare business. They believe that a sense of personal wellbeing is essential if their employees are to contribute effectively and consistently to the innovation and creativity that will give them an added advantage in an increasingly competitive global environment. 

Providing a healthy, safe and energising work environment for all their employees is a fundamental consideration. Their programme "Health and Wellbeing in AstraZeneca" is designed to promote physical and psychological welfare and to help their employees cope with demanding jobs and busy lives. 

In the UK, this includes health promotion activities relating to muscular-skeletal disorders, heart disease, and encouragement to take exercise and training in stress management.

AstraZeneca offer home-work balance initiatives including the development of a wellbeing key performance indicator questionnaire. This builds on questions posed by a global employee opinion survey, and provides a toolkit for defining factors that are impacting negatively upon wellbeing. To date, over 850 global questionnaires have been completed and analysed

Not only are physical working environments provided with ergonomically designed equipment and regular display screen equipment monitoring, but the organisation offers easy access to sports and leisure facilities and healthy eating options in restaurant facilities

The Counselling and Life Management (CALM) programme addresses psychological wellbeing in the workplace and provides in-house assistance to employees.  It offers confidential personal support for both work and non-work related issues.  The programme also provides training courses on issues such as coping with pressure and work-home balance

Impact

  • 88% of UK responders to the 2006 global employee opinion survey consider the company demonstrates commitment to the health and wellbeing of its employees
  • 80% of employees said they had enough flexibility in their job to be able to balance work and personal life
  • UK absence rates for 2004 were 8.5% lower than 2003 figures resulting in a reduction of £1.2m in total absence costs
  • The CALM programme contributes to a reduction in health insurance spend for psychological illness. In the 12 months to the end of June 2005, this resulted in a direct saving of £80,000.

See also