The document discusses challenges and opportunities for employee health and well-being. It notes the economic benefits of a healthy workforce in terms of productivity and performance. However, changing economic times and long-term health conditions pose near and future challenges. Workplace wellness programs have been shown to reduce medical and absenteeism costs. Preventative approaches focusing on mental health, early life development, and extending working lives could help address these challenges.

4. The economic challenge “ I guess the biggest challenge is the economic one – so productivity and efficiency of the workforce are high up there. But there is an increasing policy gap between employers needing to cut costs and potentially deliver more with fewer workers (especially in public services) and the push to get more people into work. One of my offices gave a very stark message recently – the improved attendance without more revenue available simply means that we don’t need so many staff on our books. Previous staffing levels reflected higher expected sickness absence and being ready for extra revenues that we now do not get.” Corporate Medical Director, June 2010

5. The economic challenge “ The truth is that we are in very different economic times, and the future for the health, well-being, productivity and performance of our working population is not sustainable unless we are all able to work radically and pull together in times of austerity to create a better whole for us all. We have to create the right political and business environment that will allow entrepreneurial spirit and value wealth-generation by businesses – but through the untapped potential of the large numbers of now-partly-disengaged but potentially-actually-working population.” Head of productivity and wellness, Large corporation, June 2010

6. Workplace Wellness Programs Can Generate Savings “ There is growing interest in workplace disease-prevention and wellness programs to improve health and reduce costs. In a critical meta-analysis of the literature on costs and savings associated with such programs, we found that medical costs fall by about $3.27 for every dollar spent on wellness programs and that absenteeism costs fall by about $2.73 for every dollar spent. Although further exploration of the mechanisms at work and broader applicability of the findings is needed, this return on investment suggests that the wider adoption of such programs could prove beneficial for budgets and productivity as well as health outcomes. “ Katherine Baicker, David Cutler and Zirui Song, Health Affairs 29(2), 2010

7. First US National Health and Productivity Summit Attended by corporate leaders from 40 national organisations, Nov. 2008. One of the Consensus Statements : “ The impact of a healthier, more productive workforce is quantifiable; when combined with other business measures it helps determine the overall economic value of an enterprise. The business community, ranging from financial analysts to investors, should develop and institutionalise additional accounting and valuation methods that include health and productivity metrics to determine more accurately the business value of workforce health assets in a company” ACOEM, IBI and US Preventive Medicine - convened working group to develop outline strategies to bring health and productivity to the corporate balance sheet.

9. Prevention John Snow (1813-1858) prevented cholera by removing a water pump handle (1853). “ In the 19 th century John Snow recognised the epidemiology of risk, and prevented cholera by removing the pump handle. In the 20 th century Occupational Health focussed on many hazardous workplace issues. In the 21 st century our main workplace productivity impacts are MSDs and mental health problems, and our primary prevention – the modern pump handle – is pretty poor for these, with a focus on medical models of downstream treatment. We need to be much more inventive in moving upstream on the prevention agenda.” S. Boorman, 2010 Are we ready for this approach?

15. Expectancy figures Expectancies at age 16 in 1998 and 2004 in England (figures in years). Males Females 1998 2004 1998 2004 Life expectancy 59.7 61.5 64.5 65.7 Disease-free life expectancy 29.4 29.6 28.3 28.5 Disability-free life expectancy 44.4 46.1 46.1 47.0 Years spent with disease 30.3 31.9 36.2 37.2 Years spent with disability 15.3 15.4 18.4 18.7

18. The shape of things to come BMI-related diseases: predicted rates per 100,000 in 20-year intervals Source: National Heart Forum 2006 2030 2050 Arthritis 603 649 695 Breast cancer 792 827 823 Colorectal cancer 275 349 375 Diabetes 2869 4908 7072 Coronary heart disease 1944 2471 3139 Hypertension 5510 6851 7877 Stroke 792 887 1050 The risk factors of poor diet, physical inactivity, high alcohol consumption and smoking, provide a clear focus for business.

19. Obesity trends by social class Source: Foresight Tackling Obesities: Future Choices – Modelling Future Trends in Obesity and Their Impact on Health Action taken to reduce health inequalities will have economic benefits in reducing losses from illness associated with health inequalities. These currently are productivity losses (estimated £33bn/year), reduced tax revenue and higher welfare payments (up to £32bn/yr) and increased treatment costs (£5.5bn/yr). (Marmot Review, February 2010)