A combination of time pressures on the profession from Covid and the fact our entry page has had some technical glitches means you now have another month to enter this year’s Occupational Health & Wellbeing Awards. So please do put yourself forward and join us in celebrating the very best of occupational health.
It is said all good things come to those who wait. Well, that’s very much the case with this year’s Occupational Health & Wellbeing Awards, as the deadline for entries is being extended for a month. The closing date for submissions is now Friday 22 October.
This decision has been taken for a variety of reasons. First, OH practitioners, we all know, remain under intense time and workload pressure from Covid-19, what with being centre-stage in managing Covid health and safety, infection control and transmission, return to physical working, hybrid working, and long Covid, alongside all the ‘normal’ OH demands.
To that end, we have deemed it is only right and sensible to allow teams and practitioners more time and breathing space to get awards’ entries in this year.
Technical glitches resolved
Occupational Health & Wellbeing Awards 2021
The second reason (and there’s no easy way to put this) is the fact we know many of you have struggled to submit entries because of a number of technical glitches on the entry page. So, massive apologies for this. Our technical team has been on the case and – hopefully – things have now all been sorted.
If you have tried to enter previously and been unable to do so, please do now revisit the awards page and use the extra time available, as we would love still to hear from you and what you are doing.
The Occupational Health & Wellbeing Awards are a chance to validate the great work you know you already do, and to have your team and work profiled on OHW+.
Six categories
To recap, the categories for the 2021 Occupational Health & Wellbeing Awards are unchanged on last year, and are:
- Best mental health initiative
- Best musculoskeletal initiative
- Best wellbeing initiative
- OH team of the year (private sector)
- OH team of the year (public sector)
- Best multidisciplinary initiative
Entries are welcome from OH teams of all sizes, whether directly employed or working on a contract basis. You also do not need to be an OHW+ member to enter.
Entries from individual practitioners will be very welcome. Teams can enter as many categories as they wish. The awards are free to enter.
For the OH team of the year (public sector), we welcome applications from teams working within the NHS and charity sector as well as more widely within the public sector.
High-level judging panel
Once the deadline for entries has closed, entries will be judged by a high-level panel of occupational health experts. Our judges this year include :
- Fiona Berry, wellness manager at Circus Street
- Dr Steve Boorman, chair of the Council for Work and Health and director of employee health at Empactis
- Eugene Farrell, chair of the UK Employee Assistance Professionals Association as well as mental health lead at AXA PPP healthcare
- Professor Anne Harriss, emeritus professor in occupational health, CPD editor of Occupational Health & Wellbeing and immediate past president of SOM, the Society of Occupational Medicine
- Mandy Murphy, strategic OH services adviser and professional coach as well as deputy head of the National School of Occupational Health
Early Christmas celebration
The extension for entries means there is a new timeframe for the awards. A shortlist will be published online on OHW+ on Friday 26 November.
Then the winners will be announced as an early Christmas celebration, on Friday 10 December.
The winners will have an opportunity to be profiled within Occupational Health & Wellbeing on OHW+ and will receive special winners’ certificates (digital and physical).
Finally – and fingers crossed this won’t be needed – if you do experience technical issues with the entry page when submitting your entry, please do get in touch with OHW+ editor Nic Paton directly at [email protected] who will ensure your entry is successfully submitted, received and evaluated.
Full entry criteria are available here.
Nic Paton said: “I am as frustrated as anyone that technical glitches have caused some issues for people submitting awards this year. Please accept my apologies, but please also do now revisit the site, as it is now all working and we’d love to hear from you.
“The Occupational Health & Wellbeing Awards give practitioners and their teams a chance to reflect on the great work they’ve done, particularly over the past challenging year, and to celebrate and cheer their achievements.
“The Occupational Health & Wellbeing Awards are a much-needed opportunity for OH teams and practitioners to make some noise, to get the credit you deserve for the amazing work you do, day in and day out. I urge you to enter this year’s awards.”
What you need to know
WHAT: Occupational Health & Wellbeing Awards.
WHEN: Entries close on Friday 22 October, with the winners announced on Friday 10 December.
WHY: Because you, and your occupational health and wellbeing team, are worth recognising.
HOW TO ENTER: Follow this link
