PruHealth, the health insurer and Vitality wellness programme provider, has partnered with Mercer, the global consulting leader in talent, health, retirement and investments, to launch Britain's Healthiest Company.
This is the first index of its kind aiming to find and celebrate the country's most outstanding organisations demonstrating best practice and innovative approaches to looking after the health and wellbeing of their staff.
Britain's Healthiest Company will survey employers and employees at organisations with more than 100 employees to gain a deeper insight into some of the biggest health risks and trends at the heart of the corporate nation's health. It will also highlight those that are delivering real and measurable benefits, not only in the health and wellbeing of their people, but also in the health of their balance sheets.
It is increasingly recognised by government and employers that Britain has a problem. According to the Office for National Statistics, around 131 million working days were lost last year to sickness absence and the approximate cost of absenteeism to British businesses is £32bn each year, so the business case for a healthy workforce is clear.
Neville Koopowitz, CEO at PruHealth, said: "With an ageing population, rising retirement age and the increase in chronic diseases linked to lifestyle it is becoming more critical than ever to ensure a healthy long-term workforce. Organisations are starting to recognise the link between a healthy workforce and a healthy bottom line, as those that encourage health and wellness within the workplace see lower sickness absence, lower presenteeism and greater productivity.
"The Britain's Healthiest Company Index will give vital insight and understanding into how healthy today's workforce is and which organisations are holding the gold medals when it comes to safeguarding their employees' health and motivating them to lead a healthier way of life."
As well as trophies for the winners, each participating organisation will receive a Corporate Health Report detailing the main health risks facing their organisation, tailor made recommendations on how to improve and how they are benchmarked against other companies. Employees will also receive a Personal Health Report providing a unique insight into their health and recommendations on lifestyle changes they can make.
John Anderson, UK market business leader for Health and Benefits at Mercer said: "The working environment plays a crucial role in shaping the health and wellbeing of staff as they spend most of their waking hours at work. Employees who feel their employer cares about their health and wellbeing are more likely to be more engaged and loyal, resulting in higher productivity, higher profitability and higher customer support. The business case for ensuring a healthy company is indisputable and we are searching for beacons of best practice across the country."
The overall winner will be named Britain's Healthiest Company and there will be further commendations for other top performing companies, with the top organisations in each category appearing on the Britain's Healthiest Company Index.
Britain's Healthiest Company launched on 26th August 2012 and the closing date for entries is November 2012. The results will be announced early in 2013. For further details on how to enter please visit the index website.
