‘Public Health England’ and ‘The Work Foundation’ have collaborated and published a very useful set or series of 12 health and work ‘infographics’ intended to help raise awareness and understanding of the relationship between health and work. Although it is Public Health England who have produced them, most of the statistics are UK ones. It is encouraging to see that they have included ‘presenteeism’ in several places, and it seems that it costs the economy £30 billion.
‘Public Health England’ and ‘The Work Foundation’ state that these infographics are intended to help public health practitioners, local authorities and policy makers to make the case and inform planning on embedding health, work and worklessness within and across these issues.
The 12 infographics are as follows:
Spotlight on mental health
Cost of ill health
Health of the working age population
Health of UK employees
Spotlight on musculoskeletal conditions (MSK)
Managing health at work for employers
Spotlight on small medium enterprises (SME)
Unemployment and economic inactivity
Welfare
The local picture
Supporting older workers with health problems
Young people and health at work
[NOTE: An ‘infographic’ is a visual representation of information or data in a graphic format designed to make the data easily understandable at a glance. “A good infographic is worth a thousand words”]
The importance of health and work
The Health and Work infographics summarise important data to provide a snapshot of the health and work landscape at publication date. They are intended to enable national and local stakeholders to understand, make the case for, and take action on addressing health, work and worklessness.
Employment is a primary determinant of health, impacting both directly and indirectly on the individual, their families and communities. Unemployment is associated with an increased risk of mortality and morbidity, including limiting illness, cardiovascular disease, poor mental health, suicide and health-damaging behaviours. 74% of adults are in employment, on average spending a third of their waking hours in the workplace.
Evidence shows that a good working environment is good for health, and that a bad working environment (characterised by low levels of job control and organisational fairness, and a high effort-reward imbalance) may contribute to poor health. There is also evidence to show that healthier, active and engaged employees are more productive, have lower levels of sickness absence and presenteeism, creating a business imperative to take action as well as a public health one. Workplaces are a key setting for engaging adults in activities to improve their health and wellbeing to improve the health of the nation, and business productivity.
This is an important public health issue at both local and national level. It is highlighted in the NHS 5 Year Forward View and many local health and wellbeing strategies, devolution plans and NHS sustainability and transformation plans.
The infographics are intended to inform the local and national stakeholders. In particular for public health practitioners, local authorities and policy makers to make the case and inform planning on embedding health, work and worklessness within and across these issues.
Attachments:
The 12 Infographics are attached as a pdf file.
The set of Infographics can also be accessed via the following link:-
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/552695/
Yours sincerely
Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
Email Attachments – Click to download
Attachment 1 – LTB547/16 Health and Work ‘Infographics’ (UK Information & Statistics)
CWU Eastern No5 Branch 
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