Wellbeing Responsibility Deal: Businesses Begin to Understand Benefits of Occupational Physiotherapy

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Employees Receiving Inhouse PhysiotherapyA voluntary pledge intended for businesses and public-sector bodies has gained momentum after many companies chose to decrease the risk of sickness absence through dedicated initiatives including occupational physiotherapy.

Wellbeing is Key

With wellbeing becoming a buzzword over the last couple of years, it is no surprise that a large number of businesses are focussing on the best ways to ensure employees have the right outlets for any stress-related issues that may occur, whether they be psychological or physiological. The Department of Health’s ‘responsibility deal’ requests businesses focus on managing four such aspects: physical activity, health at work, alcohol and food.

Companies who want to take part in the pledge can implement various plans to help maintain the aforementioned four key aspects of wellbeing in the workplace. To this end, occupational physiotherapy has been a proven tool in the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders and, as such, is an excellent way to kickstart a responsibility deal with employees. Physical activity at work can take primary focus in any wellbeing initiative due to its far-reaching effects on health as a whole.

Occupational Physiotherapy Praised as a Preventative Therapy

The House of Commons health committee published a report in March that outlined the benefits of the responsibility deal by highlighting the positive impact of diet and physicality on health. In addition a 2011 Frost/Black report demonstrated the positive effects experienced as a result of early intervention and preventative action through occupational health therapy, including physiotherapy.

In order to gain the most benefits from a corporate physiotherapy wellbeing program, staff and management need to be aware of the trigger factors surrounding stress and be able to offer dedicated support to workers at all levels of employment.

The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy has been singing the praises of occupational health and physiotherapy since their Workout at Work day in 2011 and it appears as though numerous businesses are beginning to realise that preventing physical problems that result from work is the best way to combat the millions of days of sickness absence taken each year. You can read the full story in The Guardian here.