Benefits of occupational health

There are many different benefits which your school, college or academy will experience from engaging specialist occupational health support. Here we explain the ten key benefits:

1. Specialist advice
Having a workplace occupational health support service gives your employees access to competent, professional and specialist advice which will help protect their general health and wellbeing. Occupational health services can provide direct help for staff who suffer both work and non-work related ill health. It provides them with an opportunity to discuss and resolve any worries, medical problems or personal difficulties they may be facing in and out of work.

2. Fulfilling your duty of care
As an employer you have a duty of care to look after the welfare of your employees. This ranges from ensuring they are paid fairly and on time, through to mitigating any occupational hazards. An important part of this is the health and welfare of your employees, and a good occupational health provider can help you with this.

3. Recruitment
One of the main concerns surrounding the education sector in the UK at present is severe teacher shortages, due to problems in staff recruitment. A school with a good reputation for looking after its employees is likely to attract the sectors best talent.

4. Improved staff motivation and performance ultimately increases productivity
By engaging an occupational health and wellbeing support service, you’re sending out a positive message to your employees that confirms how much you value their input and care about their welfare. This will make your staff feel valued, in turn increasing their motivation, productivity and performance at work.

5. Reduction in staff turnover, better staff attendance and retention
Individuals in all professions are becoming more discerning in relation to their work life, and now seek more than just financial gratification. Providing easily accessible occupational health support to your staff will demonstrate how much you value their general wellbeing. This will help to reduce staff turnover and improve staff attendance and retention.

6. Prevention of disabling illness
Attendance management has become a major issue within many schools, colleges and academies. Engaging a specialist occupational health support provider will assist your school in doing whatever is reasonably practicable to prevent disabling illnesses.

7. Reduced risk and cost of litigation
Specialist occupational health support will reduce the risk and cost of litigation by having risk assessments in place and having taken steps to prevent work related ill health.

8. Reduced staff absences
Occupational health specialists will provide your employees with access to a range of support services designed to reduce staff absences. They will also identify any reasons for absenteeism, trends and patterns, allowing the opportunity to take preventative and corrective action.

9. Budgetary savings
Staff absences are financially detrimental to a school’s budget. In the last academic year, schools in England spent £733 million on supply teacher agencies. Occupational health support will help to reduce this often preventable area of expenditure.

10. Time savings
Staff absences are often time consuming from an administrative perspective for schools to deal with. In addition, schools don’t always have time to put the necessary provisions in place to reduce or manage them. Occupational health support will invest this time for you, allowing you to focus on other areas of the school’s operations.