Shifting gears in workplace health and wellbeing: Victorian update Denise Laughlin Senior Public Health Advisor Population Health and Prevention Strategy Department of Health and Human Services, Victoria

Prevention challenge of the 21 st Century It remains that with the exception of tobacco, our efforts have, as yet, had little effect in achieving the core goal of prevention to improve the health of the population and reduce preventable illness from chronic disease.

The enormity of chronic disease in Australia

“Many economists argue that the low hanging productivity fruit has been picked. But there are big gains to be made in areas like chronic disease prevention that normally gets put in the social policy basket” Craig Emerson, Australian Financial Review, 28 September 2015

Preventable chronic disease and the workforce

Why is prevention important to workplaces?

A shared problem, from different perspectives Workplace injury Absenteeism and presenteeism Increased complication of rehabilitation and recovery following an injury Workplace impacts Health care expenditure More costly complications and longer recovery times Connection with social disadvantage Health impacts Labour force participation Economic productivity Social costs of illness and disability Economic impacts

Key developments in workplace health in Victoria WorkHealth commenced Premier’s Healthy Workers and Families Taskforce Healthy Together Victoria commenced Achievement Program for workplaces commenced WorkHealth Improvement Networks Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Plan ( ) National Partnership on Preventive Health signed Healthy Workers Initiative Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 enacted Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Plan ( ) Targeted local investment in 12 areas (representing 14 LGAs) Ministerial WorkHealth Advisory Group announced WorkHealth checks commenced WorkHealth checks concluded

WorkHealth – a statewide workplace health promotion initiative ( ) A voluntary program delivered by WorkSafe Victoria dedicated to educating and empowering employers and workers 800,000 WorkHealth Checks 38,000 workplaces 1,800 workplace grants 51,000 workers accessing support programs ‘Culture of care’, alongside ‘culture of compliance’ Workplace health promotion works best when built on sound OHS

Whole of system approach at scale across local government and the state

Creating healthy environments: the Achievement Program as a framework for prevention Creating healthy environments in: Early childhood services Primary schools Secondary schools Workplaces

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Reaching workplaces at scale Commenced in 2013 An evidence based health and wellbeing framework Best practice benchmarks to achieve Guidelines and support available Registrations to date:

Creating a healthier workplace through the Achievement Program Quality improvement process Leadership commitment and staff engagement are crucial. Process to assess organisational priorities and take action to support improvements. Focused on five health priorities.

Achievement Program: sign-up across industry sectors

4. What does it look like? Healthy Eating Advisory Service Achievement Program – Frameworks and benchmarks for health promotion System evaluation and monitoring Minister and Mayors Network Victorian Healthy Eating Enterprise – Creating a vibrant healthy eating culture Networks of practice Leadership for Prevention Strategy Healthy Together Exchange Healthy Together Patrons Healthy Food Charter Health promotion policy for children and young people Fresh Food Recovery Healthy Food Connect Health Champions Local social marketing campaigns Healthy Living Programs and Strategies Combined Prevention teams Local leadership networks Healthy Eating Advisory Service Achievement Program Healthy Living Programs and Strategies Achievement Program Healthy Eating and Food Literacy in Secondary Schools Healthy Eating Advisory Service Achievement Program – Frameworks and benchmarks for health promotion System evaluation and monitoring Minister and Mayors Network Victorian Healthy Eating Enterprise – Creating a vibrant healthy eating culture Networks of practice Leadership for Prevention Strategy Healthy Together Exchange Healthy Together Patrons Healthy Food Charter Health promotion policy for children and young people Fresh Food Recovery Healthy Food Connect Health Champions Local social marketing campaigns Healthy Living Programs and Strategies Combined Prevention teams Local leadership networks Healthy Eating Advisory Service Achievement Program Healthy Living Programs and Strategies Achievement Program Healthy Eating and Food Literacy in Secondary Schools Healthy Eating Advisory Service Active Cities Melbourne Premier’s Active April Infant HelpHer Knowledge and Data System CEOs Network ‘Start with’ campaign Victoria Walks Healthy by Design Public Health and Wellbeing Plan Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plans Healthy Food Procurement for govt and funded services Healthy Choices for Hospitals Health economics Healthy Choices: Healthy eating policy and catering guide for workplaces Children’s settings networks Business networks Life! Live Lighter campaign Healthy Together Victoria – expanding the prevention system Victorian Active Living Enterprise Annual Conference

Leadership and partnerships at the local level creating change in workplaces… Leadership from business leaders: Silver Chef achieves gold with the Healthy Together Achievement Program Healthy business: improving Geelong Football Club employees’ health and wellbeing through participating in the Achievement Program encouraging other workplaces to sign up to the Achievement Program

…and creating a healthy community Healthy community: Geelong Cats players as Health Champions improved provision of healthy food at the Football Stadium tools and support for the community to quit smoking social media encouraging the community to get healthy together

WorkHealth: from health promotion to an integrated approach to worker health, safety and wellbeing

Integrated approaches to worker health, safety and wellbeing

WorkHealth Improvement Networks

Building on existing efforts to take workplace health further in Victoria

More information Denise Laughlin Senior Public Health Advisor Population Health & Prevention Strategy Department of Health & Human Services

The ‘waves’ of public health

Fifth wave of Public Health Systems thinking Minimise factors that lead to unhealthy choices Maximise value of public health Promote healthy choices as default position