Improving Employee Health and Wellbeing at the University of Chester Karen Cregan, Assistant Director of HRM Services

Challenges To develop a holistic approach to health and wellbeing across the organisation. To develop a Healthy University programme where interventions create organisational citizenship. To reduce absences within the workplace To integrate with other University strategies so that health and wellbeing interventions can contribute to overall employee and student performance Maintain engagement of staff and students through challenging times

Business Case Increased pressure (inside and outside work) Negative impact on mental and physical health of individuals (increased presenteeism and absenteeism) Improvement in Staff Survey results – moving from good employer to employer of choice Reduced performance – low performing departments, frustrations with communications and change management Corporate Social responsibility – The right thing to do!

What do we want to achieve? Healthy University Workplace Wellbeing Charter IIP Health and Wellbeing

What are we doing?

Research We explored the association between physical health and nutrition with other individual outcome measures, including Quality of Working Life, Engagement, Sense of Purpose, Perceived Productivity. Providing measurements of engagement and performance

Comparison of General Working Population (GWP) Norms 2010 GWP (Mean) n=39240 Chester (Mean) n=120 Working in this organisation is motivating I feel that it is worthwhile to work hard for this organisation If necessary I am prepared to put myself out for this organisation I am committed to this organisation I am committed to achieving the goals of my job Total Engagement Score My current job goals are specific I am committed to achieving the goals of my job My job goals and objectives are clear The level of challenge in my job motivates me Total Sense of Purpose Score

Gender

Summary Lifestyle 70% of staff are happy and satisfied in working at the University of Chester Those needing help mentally are provided opportunities for support Nutrition We eat a little less than the general UK population What we eat is generally healthy Psychological wellbeing Asset - Higher engagement of staff than the mean average Fitness 50% of staff are over-weight to obese (UK average is 59%) Our cholesterol and BP is much better than the average UK individual 60% of staff are fit enough to be healthy

Achievements A steady reduction in both short and long term sickness absence which has reduced the average number of sick days per person per annum from 8.3 days in 2007 to 6.3 days in There was a 33% reduction in sickness absence as a result of musculoskeletal conditions between 2007 and There was a 52.4% reduction of mental health related absences between 2007 and % of staff said they were aware of the Health4all brand. The results of the Survey have shown that when benchmarked against the other 212 public sector organisations supported by Capita in 2011/12, that the University is an ‘Employer of Choice’. The Health4all team has played a pivotal role in the implementation of University-wide projects such as business continuity planning, staff health and safety training and sickness absence monitoring to support communication interventions such as the Swine Flu pandemic.

Staff survey -Areas of Strength Staffs’ most positive perceptions Pay and benefitsQuality service Clarity of roles and responsibilities Working together Equality and diversityWork life balance ManagementFeeling valued Working environmentLearning and development Job satisfactionCulture and values