Work and Wellbeing unit due to carry out market research
National director for health and work Dame Carol Black’s (pictured) Health, Work and Wellbeing Delivery Unit is due to carry out market research among 2,500 employers between February and April to get a better idea of attitudes towards staff health and wellbeing. It will also collect information on the extent to which sickness absence poses a challenge to businesses, and what can and should be done to reduce it.
OH centre opens in Worcester
A new £1.75m occupational health centre was set to open last month in Worcester. The NHS Plus Working Well Centre will serve 12,000 staff working for NHS organisations across Worcestershire, as well as local businesses and employers.
People plagued by ailments
The average person endures 80 ailments every year, including headaches, cramps, back pain and common colds, and will be forced to seek medical attention for at least three of these, according to a survey by private health insurance comparison website Activequote.com.
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‘Sitting around’ potentially as harmful as lack of exercise
It is not just lack of exercise that can harm workers’ health, but also prolonged bouts of sitting, a study has suggested. The Swedish research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine has concluded that prolonged bouts of sitting are strongly associated with obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and an overall higher risk of death, irrespective of whether moderate to vigorous exercise is also taken.
