Health at work: economic angles

An economic approach to occupational health creates value by eliminating wasted time, in the forms of avoidable absence and unproductive presence-at-work, that arises from mismanaging health at work.

The social approach to managing employee health embraces twin agendas. One is educating employees about risks to health from work-related hazards. The other is providing hygienic work facilities and promoting healthy, fit and hygienic standards across the workplace.

When you manage people with attention to these economic and social angles, you normally take care of the legal responsibilities too. For it becomes a lot more straightforward to identify sources of risks to employee health and safety, and to prevent illness and injury. Especially if you use techniques of lean management.

Costly risks arising from behaviour at work

Any form of behaviour at work where there is some uncertainty poses risks. When inadequately manaaged, behavioural risks are costly, for:

  1. they result in unplanned absence from work;
  2. they play a large part in mistakes, lapses and slips;
  3. they fuel harassment, bullying and avoidable turnover;
  4. they trigger avoidable grievances and disciplinaries;
  5. they breed conflict and litigation;
  6. they contribute to fraud and sabotage.

Help to manage behavioural risks, cost-effectively

The most effective approach is to prevent these kinds of behaviouraal risks or to nip them in the bud. We offer a variety of ways to help you do this. And to count the savings.