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10 Good Reasons to Promote Health in Your Workplace

“Good health is an invaluable resource.�
(Health Canada, 2006)

1. The average cost of employee absenteeism in Canada was approximately $16 billion in 2004, up from $8.6 billion in 2001 (Watson Wyatt’s 2005 Canadian Staying@Work survey).
2. A study released in 2004 identified that 58% of employees report having work-life conflict; being overwhelmed by either their jobs, families or finances (The Public Health Agency of Canada, Exploring the Link Between Work-Life Conflict and Demands on Canada’s Health Care System, 2004).
3. Shiftworkers tend to report high levels of job stress, as well as higher than average rates of smoking, alcohol consumption and poor eating habits – all of which take a heavy toll on health over time (Heart and Stroke Foundation, Don’t Take Job Stress to Heart, 2006).
4. In 2005, mental disabilities such as stress and depression were the leading cause of disability in the labour force, which accounted for over $8 billion in productivity losses (2006 Business and Economic Plan For Mental Health and Productivity, Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Addiction and Mental Health, 2006).
5. The type of food available within workplaces is a powerful influence on food choices. Providing healthy food choices in the workplace may enhance employee productivity and allow employees to participate effectively in the lives of their families and communities (Public Health Agency of Canada, An Integrated Pan-Canadian Healthy Living Strategy, A Discussion Document for the Healthy Living Symposium, June 2003).
6. Fifteen million Canadians spend one-half of their waking hours at work. It is vital, therefore, to find ways of increasing physical activity at and around work (Public Health Agency of Canada, Why Active Living at Work, 2004).
7. Based on a workplace fitness study, a 1% increase in the proportion of Canadian adults who are physically active has been estimated to result in a $58.9 million increase in productivity to the Canadian economy (Summer Active, 2005).
8. In 2005, tobacco use by employees resulted in more than $2.6 billion in productivity losses (Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Costs of Tobacco Use and Tax Revenues, 2005).
9. Substance abuse in the workplace in 2002 cost employers $24.3 billion in productivity, absenteeism, and workplace accidents (Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, The Costs of Substance Abuse in Canada, 2006).
10. At least 1.5 million Canadians are exposed to known or suspected reproductive hazards in their workplace. Ninety-one per cent of women in the workforce are in their prime childbearing years (Best Start, Workplace Reproductive Health, 2001).

“You cannot put a dollar value on good health.�
(Health Canada, 2006)

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