Workplace chaplains can work alongside occupational health practitioners to support staff in stressful times, says Chris Savage, team leader at Chaplaincy to People at Work. In the 1990s, as industrial chaplain for Basingstoke and North Hampshire, m  More...
01 March 2012 10:30

Take-up of the Government's Fit for Work service pilots has proved disappointingly low so far, according to an evaluation by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Eleven pilots were launched in March 2010, following the recommendations in Dame   More...
01 March 2012 10:23

Yoga and workouts foster healthier lifestyle for older workforce Worksite yoga and gym facilities, and, to a lesser degree, fruit provision, help older workers to adopt healthier lifestyles, according to this Dutch study of more than 600 workers. Hal  More...
01 March 2012 09:30

A recent visit to South Africa led occupational health educator Anne Harriss to use her healthcare and teaching skills in a remote rural community. Here, she describes her rewarding experience. One of the ice-breaking activities I have used with new  More...
01 March 2012 09:30

A new e-learning resource that helps to increase workforce resilience can improve the ability of staff to cope with difficult situations. Current economic uncertainty has resulted in both large corporations and small organisations feeling the squee  More...
01 March 2012 09:23

Dr Bridget Juniper takes a look at the costs associated with employee wellbeing as an investment and the price employers could pay should they choose not to invest. In this series of articles on employee wellbeing for Occupational Health magaz  More...
01 March 2012 09:00

Introducing a successful smoking cessation programme in the workplace can not only help to improve staff health, it can also provide business benefits, say Michael T Halpern and Hayden McRobbie. It's a familiar sight: outside an office, a group of wo  More...
01 March 2012 09:00

Outsourcing and business process giant Capita moved to extend its presence within the commercial occupational health arena in February by snapping up Aviva UK Health, a rival OH business, from insurer Aviva. The deal, for an undisclosed sum, means t  More...
29 February 2012 09:09

A larger percentage of the workforce is accessing employee assistance programmes (EAPs) than they were four years ago, according to consultancy Right Management. The firm's "Clinical director report" has calculated that in the past year 30,000 emplo  More...
28 February 2012 09:09

An increasingly relentless "always on" workplace culture is encouraging employees that are off work and unwell never fully to switch off, a business psychologist and health insurer have warned. According to research by Professor Cary Cooper ,   More...
27 February 2012 09:09

Physiotherapists are getting increasingly worried about the safety implications of workers, particularly those in the NHS or other physically demanding jobs, being asked to work until they are 68 years old. But physiotherapists meeting for the Char  More...
26 February 2012 12:00

The British Occupational Health Research Foundation (BOHRF) has announced that it has become a casualty of the difficult economic climate. In a letter posted on its website in January, Sir Bill Callaghan, chair of trustees, said: "It will come as no   More...
26 February 2012 09:09

Professional bodies and medical firms should take a lead role as pressure mounts on healthcare organisations to prepare for implementation of the EU Directive on sharps injuries. Every day, nurses face the threat of sharps injuries, which can resu  More...
01 February 2012 11:00

It is essential that OH providers and those in need of OH services are clear on their specific requirements. Service level agreements can help to clarify such information in order to ensure smooth running of the contract. Nic Paton reports.   More...
01 February 2012 09:09

Wellbeing specialist Dr Bridget Juniper considers evidence-based management and the role it can play in developing an effective employee wellbeing strategy. Increasingly, we hear that HR and management academics use the term "evidence-based manageme  More...
01 February 2012 09:00

The Government has launched a new "Health for Work" sickness absence advice line that, it is hoped, will encourage smaller employers to better support workers on sick leave. The free advice line will be run by NHS Plus and provides help and su  More...
31 January 2012 09:30

The fit note is providing an important "nudge" to get managers to instigate conversations with their staff to discuss the best way to help get individuals back to work, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has argued. Accordin  More...
31 January 2012 09:00

The NHS Plus occupational health network will launch a web-based clinical governance system in March 2012, designed to help OH teams raise standards. The Management of Health at Work Knowledge system (MOHAWK) will initially be available for NHS prov  More...
30 January 2012 10:30

In the third in a series of articles for Occupational Health magazine, wellbeing specialist Dr Bridget Juniper considers who should take responsibility for the development of employee wellbeing within an organisation. In this series on employee well  More...
09 January 2012 09:00

A vocational rehabilitation model using occupational therapists challenges traditional OH approaches. Gerald Mcfeely explains. An innovative model of vocational rehabilitation is being piloted by NHS Lothian aimed primarily at employees returni  More...
03 January 2012 10:05