Workplace Health
Quick links: Support for Employers and Employees | BHAWA
Work well
People spend a lot of time at work, so it’s important that workplaces help staff stay healthy and feel good. When a workplace cares about health and wellbeing, it can help people feel happier, take fewer sick days and work better together.
It also means staff are more likely to stay in their jobs and it helps the workplace build a good reputation. Supporting health at work helps people and it helps the organisation do well too.
Support for employers and employees
We can support both employers and employees across South Tees to create healthier and more supportive workplaces.
Here are some of the resources and offers available:
Better Health at Work Award – a free scheme for employers to support health and wellbeing at work. Keep scrolling for more information!
Mental Health and Wellbeing – see our mental health and wellbeing pages.
Physical Activity – advice on staying active at work and travelling to and from work (Active Travel support), visit the Sustrans website for more information.
Smoking – see our Smokefree South Tees pages.
Alcohol and Substance Use – see our Alcohol and Substance Use pages.
Chronic pain – see our Flippin Pain case study on the You’ve Got This website.
We also work with employers to create a supportive environment by:
Managing stress and promoting work-life balance.
Building menopause-friendly workplaces - contact Jenny Yafano for more information: jenny_yafano@middlesbrough.gov.uk
Encouraging inclusive practices that support neurodiversity, disabilities and different needs.
What workplace
health means
Workplace health is about making sure the place where people work supports their physical and mental wellbeing. This includes:
Offering fair policies and practices.
Helping staff manage health conditions.
Encouraging healthy habits such as eating well, being active and stopping smoking.
Making workspaces inclusive and supportive for everyone.
Why promote
workplace health?
Promoting health at work has many benefits:
Staff take fewer sick days and perform better.
Productivity improves, which benefits the business.
Organisations build a positive reputation with staff, partners and the wider community.
Key facts about workplace health
For every £1 an employer spends to help their workers feel better and stay healthy, they usually get about £4.70 back because people work better and get more done.
Poor mental health costs UK employers up to £56 billion each year.
In 2023/24, people in the UK missed about 33.7 million days of work because they were hurt or became ill from their jobs.
The Better Health at Work Award (BHAWA)
The Better Health at Work Award (BHAWA) is a free workplace award scheme available to employers across the North East and Cumbria. It began in 2009 and is managed by the TUC. Today, it is the largest workplace health award in the UK, with more than 500 employers and 270,000 employees taking part.
The award recognises and supports employers who are working to improve health and wellbeing in the workplace. It is flexible and open to all organisations, no matter the size, type or location.
There are five levels of the award – bronze, silver, gold, continuing excellence and maintaining excellence – with clear steps to help employers move forward. Employers start at Bronze and work upwards at their own pace, with up to a year for each stage.
Every employer who signs up receives:
ongoing support from Workplace Health Leads.
access to training, networking events and email updates.
links to local and national health campaigns, resources and information.
How to get involved
For more information or to sign up, visit the Better Health at Work Award website.
For local advice in Middlesbrough, contact Helen England – Public Health Officer