Occupational health: A cornerstone of employee wellbeing

Occupational health deserves as much attention as physical and mental wellbeing at work. Essentially, it also includes the physical and mental wellbeing of all employees. When an employee is going through a challenging period, providing support is the organization’s responsibility, but occupational health focuses on analysing and implementing policies and making changes so that the challenges are minimised in the first place. 

According to the World Health Organization, occupational health is the highest degree of practice focusing on multiple disciplines such as hygiene, safety, psychology, medicine and nursing. Each work and workplace has its unique challenges. Therefore a standard operating procedure may not apply to all workplaces. For example, I go to a manufacturing unit to conduct workshops and individual counselling sessions and it is mandatory for everyone who enters the campus to wear closed shoes at all times. This is done to ensure utmost safety and mitigate occupational hazards. There are certain departments where organizations need to ensure safety more than anything else, for example, healthcare, research and testing etc. 

Through a collaboration with WHO, The National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH) was established in 1970 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. It focuses on 3 core objectives:

1. Promoting intensive research to evaluate environmental stresses at the workplace.
2. Promoting the highest quality of occupational health through fundamental and applied research.
3. Developing control technologies and health programmes through basic research.
4. Generating human resources in the field. 

Benefits of investing in Occupational Health

Enhanced employee wellbeing: When employees feel supported, heard and motivated, their health also reflects that. Occupational health programs focus on physical, social and emotional aspects of an individual’s life, creating a wholesome atmosphere that promotes care, health and mutual support in the organization. These programs also teach employees effective and healthy coping strategies resulting in enhanced resilience and self-efficacy. 

Reduces Absenteeism: When employees are physically and mentally well, they are less likely to miss work due to illness or show up unwell and underperform. This leads to a healthier, more energized workforce.

Increased productivity: Reduced challenges and stressors can allow employees to focus better at work and perform to their optimal capacities. 

The different types of Occupational Health Services

1. Virtual clinics: This is a remote healthcare service that can be accessed via video calls. The employees can have real-time conversations with medical professionals and discuss their concerns. Virtual clinics are preferred by many organizations instead of offline ones because of the accessibility and flexibility they allow. This also allows a sense of privacy to the employees and they can avail of these services from the comfort of their location without needing to travel anywhere.
2. Periodic health checkups: Organizations usually partner with hospitals, clinics, testing labs or service providers that allow employees a comprehensive health check-up. If there is anything that the COVID-19 Pandemic has taught us, it is the importance of taking utmost care of our health. There is nothing more important than your health in this world. You would not be able to give your 100% if your health is getting compromised. These health checkups serve as important reality checks, nudging you to make healthier choices and take better care of yourself. 
3. Employee Assistance Programs: EAP services focus on providing emotional support and empowering individuals to use healthier coping mechanisms to deal with stressors. EAP services offer workshops, webinars, awareness sessions, support groups, crisis intervention and individual sessions to allow employees to express themselves freely without any judgment or fear. 
4. Emergency response planning: This is a dedicated protocol that focuses on an effective strategy to be used in case of emergencies. It involves taking into account worst-case scenarios to plan the highest and safest level of existing strategies and management.
5. Compensation for injured workers: Customized and managed treatment plans for injured workers with pain. These plans may include disability compensation, death compensation, medical compensation, and temporary incapacity. These kinds of situations may arise in fields that require a lot of human labour and physical work rather than fields that usually deal with technology, academia and creativity.
6. Creating optimal ergonomic designs: This is one of the most underrated factors. An ergonomic workspace is a lot more than just a comfortable setup; it’s a strategic investment in employee health, productivity, and overall wellbeing. By aligning the workspace with the natural movements and postures of the human body, ergonomics helps prevent musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) such as back pain, neck strain, and repetitive stress injuries, which are quite common for employees working in office and industrial settings. Organizations that prioritize ergonomic design often experience lower absenteeism, reduced medical costs, and higher employee retention. Therefore this is an investment that goes a long way. 

FAQs:

How does occupational health differ from organizational safety?

Occupational health includes organizational safety as well. But it is an all-encompassing program that focuses on physical safety, emotional safety, workplace design, policies and structures that can support the workforce and create a sustainable workplace. In that sense, occupational health is much bigger than occupational safety. 

How do occupational health practices vary across industries and countries?

These practices are solely based on unique challenges faced in respective fields and departments. Therefore there cannot be just a single SOP. The practices are determined based on the challenges faced by 1. Employees 2. Work 3.Social factors 4. Management. The practices are then customised accordingly.