Wellbeing at Work

Businesses are ideally situated to play a proactive role in positively enhancing and supporting the health and wellbeing of their staff.

If you’re a large business it’s most likely that you’ll already have systems/resources in place.  Things such as private medical insurance, gym membership/discounts and social events, Wellbeing champions, mental health first aiders, HR and OH departments can all offer advice and support.

If you’re an SME or sole trader are you using external services for your HR/OH and other staff needs, is this something you manage yourself or is on the ‘to do’ list?

There are so many small, effective and relatively inexpensive things that can be done to help people’s health and wellbeing at work.  Simple things like providing comfortable workstations, task variation, good management/communication, regular appraisals, regular breaks, space between meetings, social events, flexitime to name but a few!

Factoring in these type of things can improve the wellbeing of staff and have a positive affect on productivity and reduction in sick leave.

I am Jemma Mack, I own and run The Physio Place.  I’m a physiotherapist and have trained as a life coach.   I treat patients with aches and pains, carry out workstation assessments regularly, provide Occupational Health physiotherapy advice and can also offer support for people with Long Covid. 

I’m passionate about helping people, enabling them to get back to the things they enjoy and want to do and love bringing this into the business world to enhance the wellbeing of employees.

With wellbeing described as a state of being comfortable, healthy or happy these are the aims of The Physio Place’s Wellbeing @ Work service.

First, comfort

Millions of working days are lost due to musculoskeletal aches and pains, particularly back pain.   To help ensure against aches and pains it’s important to have a correctly set up workstation whether working from home, the office, your car, the train etc….

HSE regulations state that anyone using Display Screen Equipment for more than an hour on a daily basis is asked to carry out a DSE workstation assessment.  Ensuring workstations are suitable and comfortable will help reduce the likelihood of problems.

However if problems persist for some reason, this is where I can help.

Making Your Workstations Comfortable

With my knowledge of anatomy, body mechanics, injury management and good posture I regularly carry out workstation assessments with very positive feedback. 

What I can offer you

* I can carry out face to face or remote workstation assessments with individuals.  These assessments are particularly helpful for people with aches and pains and for those who are struggling to get comfortable at their workstation.

* I can advise small groups on how to set up a workstation correctly and what adjustments to do to achieve that.  This would be a remote call focusing on achieving good posture and minimising aches and pains. 

* I can provide advice to anyone looking to set up a hot-desk or supply equipment to staff at home or in a new office

For more information about any of these services please see the Workstation assessments part on my website or call me.

Next health….

Being fit and healthy can have a hugely positive impact on wellbeing.  When you or your staff start to experience aches and pains and despite adjustments they don’t seem to go, speedy access to physiotherapy treatment can be a real asset.

I treat aches and pains

I provide effective treatment aimed at long term resolve for all aches and pains including work related problems. My clinic is based in Salisbury and treatments can be remote and face to face.  As we open up again I plan to return to offering on site physio so if this is what you’d like please ask.      

Management/Self referral to physio

Another great way to get physio input to your staff can be done through a management or self referral system.  These referrals are particularly helpful if people are off work, looking to return to work, or where an ache or pain is significantly impacting their work.    With a management referral, following consent from the member of staff, a report with recommendations could be provided back to the manager.

Support with Long Covid

If you or someone in your team is suffering with Long Covid it can be an anxious time particularly regarding the gap between lack of energy and the want/need to return to work.   For those looking for advice on what to do to help themselves, I’d recommend looking at the NHS ‘Your Covid Recovery’ app.   Please also see my Long Covid blog for helpful links.

For those looking for some 1-2-1 support my colleague Nikki Harris and I are offering appointments to help guide you along the journey so please do ask.

And finally….

The definition states ‘happiness is fundamental to the health of an individual, enabling them to successfully overcome difficulties and achieve what they want out of life’.

So how happy are you and your staff?

Taking breaks and microbreaks, stress management, listening to your colleague..

As well as ensuring workstations are well set up and aches and pains are treated/managed effectively, having a good life/work balance is also really important.  The following can help with that:

• ensuring that working hours are manageable,
• ensuring colleagues are confident on the systems they are working on/with
• ensuring microbreaks are taken throughout the day and breaks are taken away from the desk
• regular opportunities for open communications and feedback are provided so any problems/stressors can be addressed.

If you’re considering offering some or all of these aspects of our Wellbeing @ Work package to your staff please do get in touch.  The fees will vary depending on your requirements. 

Helpful links:

For Mental health first aid assistance – Kathy Chillistone can help: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathy-chillistone-mcipd-a077b013/?originalSubdomain=uk.  Kathy can also help with HR issues.