Well-being in Work: understanding the relationship between health, well-being and work
News
Stage 3 in development: Following the success of Stage 2, it is now possible to begin to develop Stage 3. Stage 3 will involve the development of interventions aimed at improving the quality of our working lives. These will be based on evidence of current best practice gathered from the scientific literature, and on the findings of Stages 1 and 2. We will focus on interventions that make it easier for people to stay at work or return to work if they have been off work due to illness, as loss of work due to illness can be damaging to our general health and quality of life, as well as our bank balances.
Stage 2 complete: Stage 2 of the Well-being in Work initiative involved a program of research that explored the relationship between health, well-being and work within two major employers in the Merthyr Tydfil area: the North Glamorgan NHS Trust and Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. Through this research, we have been able to further our understanding of the complex relationship between health, well-being and work, and look at what kind of interventions might be useful in improving the quality of our working lives. Some of the key findings from Stage 2 are described here and the full report can be viewed by clicking here.
Stage 2 - Thank you for getting involved: We would like to say thank you very much to all of those who work at the North Glamorgan NHS Trust and Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council and who took part in Stage 2 of the Well-being in Work project. Many of you completed questionnaires, joined focus groups, or were interviewed by our research team, and we are very grateful for your contribution. We would not have been able to complete this study without your help. Many thanks to all of you!
Stage 2 - Get involved: We are now inviting employees at Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council and the North Glamorgan NHS Trust to take part in Stage 2 of the Well-being in Work Project. There are several ways to get involved, including completing a survey and taking part in an interview or discussion group.
Stage 2 - Launch: Stage 2 of the Well-being in Work (WiW) project was launched at the Civic Centre in Merthyr Tydfil on Tuesday the 30th of January. Around 60 people attended this event, which was hosted by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. Presentations were given by Professors Chris Main (Keele University) and Ceri Phillips (University of Wales Swansea) on the WiW project, its context, and what it means for Merthyr Tydfil and beyond.
There were stands from Merthyr Tydfil Local Health Board with blood pressure tests being provided, and Aura Complementary Therapies who were giving people the chance to try out some relaxing reflexology, as well as the Promoting Health in Small Workplaces Project organised by the Merthyr Tydfil Local Public Health Team of the National Public Health Service for Wales, Drugaid, and the Recreation and Sports section of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. The response to the event was very positive, particularly with regard to the innovative joined-up approach the project takes to health, well-being and work. There was also considerable interest in how the WiW work could potentially be rolled-out to other areas and workplaces.
Research Team Launch ContributorsStage 1 Complete: Stage 1 of the Well-being in Work initiative involved setting the socio-economic context of health and work in Merthyr Tydfil. The final report ‘Profiling the community in Merthyr Tydfil: problems, challenges and opportunities’, was completed in March 2006. Click here to see the full report.
