Employers who create healthy workplaces can reduce employee absence and boost productivity, according to a new TUC guide, Work and well-being. The guide aims to promote healthier working and help union safety reps identify what within their workplaces are making staff ill. Work and well-being says that the best method for improving the general well-being of a workforce is to change the way that work is organised and managed. For example, reducing workplace stress is far more useful than providing on-site massage for stressed workers. Work and well-being suggests a number of ways that employers and unions might try to encourage a healthier attitude amongst employees, including offering healthy options in the staff restaurant, encouraging staff not to eat lunch at their desks and giving staff the chance to access employee assistance programmes which can help them cope with personal problems.
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