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Committee on workplace health formed to bring down sickness
Channel NewsAsia - Saturday, December 13
SINGAPORE: The Health Ministry, National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), and Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) are jointly forming a National Tripartite Committee on Workplace Health.
The committee will urge more companies to provide health related benefits to employees.
A Health Promotion Board (HPB) survey last conducted in 2006 shows only about half of all companies have such a programme in place.
“I see two groups. Those who are already promoting healthy lifestyle among their employees for the last 10 years should now go to the next stage... and do serious health screening. And very importantly, follow—up, that means educate them,” said Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan.
For the other group which does not have such a programme, the tripartite committee, headed by HPB chairman and MediaCorp CEO Lucas Chow and the director of NTUC’s quality worklife department Yeo Guat Kwang, will come up with a framework to help implement this.
"The economic situation may actually make companies a bit hesitant, but I think most of the enlightened employers will understand that to promote health, no time is a bad time," said Mr Yeo.
The committee also includes representatives from Ministry of Manpower, Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, SPRING Singapore, Health Ministry, SNEF, and several private companies.
To get employers moving, they can also tap on a Workplace Health & Sports Promotion Grant of up to S$10,000.
Besides physical fitness, the committee also wants to promote mental well—being.
With an aging population, workplace health programmes will bring down long—term national healthcare expenditure, as prevention is cheaper than cure.
In addition, health screening carried out at companies will be cheaper than bringing health screening to individual households.
Companies with a workplace health programme will also find that they will benefit through higher productivity rates and lower absentee rates.
One such company, IBM, budgets S$50,000 annually for its workplace health programme.
It found that from 2003 to 2006, the total blood cholesterol of IBM staff dropped by 30.6 per cent after implementing workplace health screening. The number of its staff who exercised more than three times a week also increased from 22.7 per cent in 2005, to 44.1 per cent in 2008.
And if workers are now going to retire later, their health will certainly be a key factor.
— CNA/yt
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