Creating a Well Workforce

A case study

Recent years have seen a move in larger organisations towards a more proactive approach to health and safety. Instead of ensuring that steps have been taken to comply with current health and safety legislation, employers are taking the well-being of their workforce into their own hands and offering a range of activities to promote their health and well-being. The initiatives are holistic in focus, looking at both the risks in the workplace and the risks present in the employees' lifestyle outside of work, such as lack of exercise, poor diet, smoking and drink problems.

To what extent is it employers' responsibility to look after their employees? What is the best approach to take and what benefits are they likely to see?

This report seeks to answer these questions by presenting a case study of one organisation involved in health promotion activities. British Gas Business, part of Centrica, has been running a series of activities to promote health and well-being amongst its workforce for a number of years.