Northumbrian Water Health & Wellbeing initiative

Healthy Workplaces Award 2009, supported by the Department of Health

NWL Health & Well-being Initiative was developed to help improve employee motivation, engagement and flexibility to enable the business to meet expectations of regulators and shareholders.  It encourages employees to take a more proactive approach to managing their own health, improves the health, safety and wellbeing of employees and enables the company to reduce the cost of absence, ill health retirements and other health related costs.

Processes

The programme has 4 strands:  occupational health which focuses on periodic health assessments, ensuring employees are fit for their role; RehabWorks (physiotherapy) to try to reduce as well as assist with Musculo-skeletal Disorders (MSDs); health and well-being and stress management.

Impact

  • Despite increased headcount (2261 employees - 2003/04 to 2971 - 2008/09) and an ageing workforce (over 50 years in 2003/04 = 589 to 2008/09 = 907) ill-health retirements have remained consistent at c6 per year
  • 196.5 days (4.25%) reduction in musculo-skeletal disorders during 2008/09 compared to previous years, since partnering with RehabWorks since April 2008.
  • Sickness absence has reduced from an average of 3.21% in 2003/04 to 2.85% to date in 2008/09 with noticeable reductions in one particular operational area from 4.14% in 2004/05 to 3.61% in 2008/09
  • Reduction in long term absence from 2.07% - 2007/08 to 2008/09 (ytd) 1.68%.
  • c£500k saved in insurance premiums is directly attributable to the health and well-being activities

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