Centura Group
Health & Wellbeing Policy
Our Group Health and Wellbeing Policy has been developed to promote and encourage health and wellbeing at work.
In accordance with our Vision and Values, it is acknowledged that staff wellbeing is of paramount importance.
Wellbeing is an important factor in the job satisfaction of our staff and is therefore a management issue for the Group.
This policy is designed to bring existing staff wellbeing issues to the fore, whilst seeking to create an organisational culture where negative wellbeing issues are identified, minimised and managed before they affect the wellbeing of staff.
We have a clear aim to promote the positive aspects and ideas associated with health and wellbeing at work.
The issue of staff health and wellbeing at work is recognised as part of a broader approach to health promotion that involves all stakeholders associated with our organisation.
The Group has a unique set of features including its organisational culture, structures, system of operation, management practices and workplace environment, which together with staff personal lifestyle factors play a key role in the health and wellbeing of individuals and that of the organisation.
We will:
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- Promote good practice in both physical and mental health & wellbeing activities and share successes across the Group
- Provide training for all managers and supervisory staff in good management practices appropriate to this policy
- Ensure all necessary resources are provided to enable managers to implement the organisation’s agreed health & wellbeing strategy
- Identify those circumstances that may contribute to inappropriate levels of work-related stress and conduct risk assessments to eliminate or control the risks from such stress. These circumstances and risk assessments will be kept under regular review
- Consult with relevant HR/H&S representatives and other staff and stakeholders, where appropriate, on all proposed action relating to staff wellbeing and the prevention of workplace stress
- All employees are provided with the services of a fully trained HR Executive and also Occupational Health and other Health Services.
- Ensuring effective communication between management and staff, particularly where there are organisational and procedural changes
- Ensuring that bullying, harassment and discrimination are not tolerated
- Treat each member of staff with dignity and respect as an individual
- Uphold confidentiality (wherever safety is not at risk)
- Share ideas for promoting health and wellbeing in the workplace
HEALTH SURVEILLANCE
Employees who are healthy and safe at work are beneficial for everyone and the aim of a caring employer. Not only is it good business practice, it carries the full force of legislation and as an employer we have a duty to ensure (so far as is reasonably practical) your safety, health and welfare while you are at work.
Part of the Group’s policy towards prevention of work-related ill health and encouragement of wellbeing of employees is through health assessments.
Health Surveillance is about systematic, regular checks on workers to identify early signs of ill health, and then acting on the results!
Health surveillance is needed to protect workers who are at increased risk, identify work related ill health at an early stage so that steps can be taken to treat the condition and prevent further damage, also to give warning that control measures are not effective. Formal health surveillance is only necessary is work damages health in a particular way and the following factors apply there is a valid way to detect a disease or condition, and it is reasonably likely that damage to health will occur under the particular conditions at work, and that health surveillance will benefit the employee.
Employees have a responsibility in return to co-operate with us under the Management of Health and Safety At Work Regulations (1999). CRL (the Group) have undertaken health needs and risk assessments, and other safety-based activities that underpin the need for health surveillance. This includes specific requirements under COSHH, Management of Noise At Work Regulations and Management of Vibration At Work Regulations, and other legislation.
Other procedures arise out of the assessment and management of specific health risk in the work situation. Full details are contained in the Group’s Health Risk Management Procedure (Procedure 33 of the Health and Safety Management System). This is available for inspection at all Group offices and sites.
It is in everyone’s interest to co-operate in carrying out these procedures.
WELLBEING CHECKS
From time to time, in addition to the above, we may offer as a benefit confidential health checks. If offered, you can choose whether or not to take it up. To avoid any confusion, we will make it clear to you at the time whether a health check is part of your duties to co-operate with us or if it is being offered as an optional employee benefit.
STRESS MANAGEMENT AND MENTAL HEALTH
The success of the Group is mainly due to our most valuable asset, our employees.
Whilst encouraging our employees to be involved and to take responsibility and to be recognised for making an important contribution to the Group, we also recognise that today’s pace of life both inside and outside work can on occasions lead to stress related illness.
In order to minimise the risk of work-related stress we strive to provide a workplace environment, which may be challenging but is a friendly place to work. We achieve this through the following:
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- Open approachable management,
- Effective communications,
- Ensuring employees have the necessary training, resources and equipment to undertake their job, and
- Treating all employees fairly as equal members regardless of position, age, race or sex.
People react differently to pressure. While some pressure of work can improve performance, we recognise that one person’s challenge may be excessive pressure to another.
It is our policy to provide help and support to employees who do suffer a stress related illness:
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- By making whatever adjustments that can reasonably be made to their working environment to reduce the pressure on them,
- To provide management with training to help them identify potential cases of stress and to be able to provide support and counselling,
- To ensure any ill employees are not adversely treated,
- CRL is committed to providing Mental Health First Aid Awareness Training for all employees, and
- CRL will arrange referral to our Occupational Health Team in cases of mental ill health, so that both we and the employee benefit from specialist advice on fitness to work, obtaining advice on rehabilitation including consideration of adjustments under the Equality Act, Disability Section (2010).
CONFIDENTIALITY
While all dealings with staff are subject to the organisation’s policy on confidentiality it must be emphasised that this is often of paramount importance with regard to those experiencing mental health difficulties. However, it must also be emphasised that confidentiality may be necessarily breached in certain circumstances where the individual is deemed to be a risk either to him/herself or to other people. If there is a conflict between these two statements, then it should be stressed that the safety of the individual and or the safety of other members of our community takes precedence over confidentiality.
A P Rimoldi
Group Chief Executive
February 2021