A workplace health promotion programme can help address the causes of sickness absence from work, including back pain and stress, which are the two most common causes.

Help and support

www.workplacehealthconnect.co.uk  is a web service providing confidential, practical information for large and small businesses on workplace health. It includes information on health and safety, employee sickness, health screening, absence due to illness and return to work issues

The Corporate Health Standard

The Corporate Health Standard, run by the Welsh Assembly Government, is the quality mark for workplace health promotion in Wales.

It is presented in bronze, silver, gold and platinum categories to public and private sector-organisations implementing practices to promote the health and well-being of their employees.

The small workplace health award is the new national mark of quality for health and well-being in the workplace, for businesses and organisations employing fewer than 50 people.  

Free support and advice is available for small organisations and businesses to develop health and well-being initiatives in the workplace.    

A brief update is available on the www.healthyworkingwales.com (opens new window) website. The update shows how many organisations are currently engaged with the Workplace Health Team and have either been assessed under the Corporate Health Standard or are working towards assessment.

Occupation Health Advice Line

Small businesses in Wales now have free access to occupational health services from a new advice line.  The advice line provides easy access to professional advice and information about individual employee health conditions - with the ultimate aim of retaining the services of the employee or assist an employee back to work.

The advice line, delivered by the Welsh Assembly Government, will run until 31 March 2011.

Employers can call the advice line on 0800 107 0900. 

Back Pain

Back pain has a painful and debilitating impact on large numbers of people in Wales.

You can help employees with back pain to stay at work by thinking about how their job could be modified to ease the burden in a way that would enable them to carry on working. Remember, most people make a full recovery from back pain and will soon be able to return to full duties.

For information about how to prevent back pain at work and to provide support to employees suffering from back pain visit www.welshbacks.com  

Well-being Wales Network

The www.wellbeingwales.org website provides a guide for organisations to make choices and increase well-being across Wales

No Smoking Day 2010

No Smoking Day is the UK's leading health campaign for smokers who want to stop. No Smoking Day (opens new window) has all the information and resources you need to quit smoking or organise an event on No Smoking Day, Monday 9 March 2011

www.bhf.org.uk

www.physicalactivityandnutritionwales.org.uk

www.healthyworkingwales.com (opens new window)

www.workingforhealth.gov.uk

www.hse.gov.uk

www.eatwell.gov.uk