Approach

Dame Carol Black’s report 'Working for a healthier tomorrow' (2008) stated that “There are clear bottom-line benefits to business from investing in health and well-being programmes.” 

As a corporate healthcare consultant, Peter Marno’s approach is to ensure that good business decisions can be made, and that they are backed by sound analysis of available data and information. Additionally, they should reflect current working practices and market place availability and, most importantly, the needs of the client – who is the paymaster.

‘’Staff are our greatest asset’’.  But they are expensive – particularly in tough financial times.  In an ideal world, each staff member would realise a return on an employer’s investment in them – which is difficult when they are ill.  Employers need to minimise damage to their company’s productivity and growth, as well as their brand, from unnecessary sickness absence.  At the same time, there is pressure from both individuals and government to improve wellbeing in the workplace.  Therefore, the challenge is to make sure all health-related investments are wise and will help yield a return across the employee population.

Flexibility

Although musculoskeletal and mental health problems are the most common reasons for ill-health in the workplace, the provision of health services and benefits should be sufficiently flexible to ensure that the one-off (and therefore very expensive) situation is included as well.  Further, self-help solutions should also be considered when appropriate.

Integrated Approach

Most companies have more than one service or product which should require an ‘integrated’ approach.  A prime need is to ensure each product and service is appropriately joined by agreed protocols – often to be specified at the tender stage.  Often a ‘partnership’ approach is more beneficial - where the integrated outcome is better than the individual parts working separately.