Healthier Workplaces
Australians spend about one-third of their lives at work. This means where we work, the type of work we do, and the conditions of our work environment all have the potential to affect our health and wellbeing.
Creating healthier workplaces by providing access to health-promoting services, programs and information can protect people from injury and illness and improve health and wellbeing outcomes. For organisations this means greater engagement, improved morale, and increased productivity.
Building a healthy work environment
Whether you work in an office, outdoors, in transit, or from home, there are a range of initiatives which can be implemented, including:
- providing access to fresh drinking water and supplying water bottles or water coolers for people who work in mobile or outdoor jobs.
- ensuring onsite food outlets, vending machines and catering offer healthy food and drink options.
- providing end-of-trip facilities and secure storage areas to enable active travel.
- providing, loaning or subsidising equipment which supports safe, active work, like sit-to-stand desks or fitness wearables.
- creating work environments which promote movement throughout the day.
- encouraging employees to participate in health and wellbeing programs or initiatives.
What we do
Innovative models of care
Health and Wellbeing Queensland supports a range of programs which empower Queenslanders to live healthier lives by increasing capability, opportunity and motivation. These programs include:
My health for life
My health for life is a Queensland Government-funded chronic disease prevention program offering free health coaching to adults at risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Through six sessions delivered in flexible formats, participants receive personalised guidance on lifestyle behaviours proven to reduce disease risk.
10,000 Steps
An Australian physical activity program that uses step tracking technology to encourage everyday movement. Delivered digitally via app, it supports individuals, workplaces, and community groups with personalised goal setting, progress monitoring, and social challenges to build sustainable active habits.
How we are creating a healthier workplace
Healthy, happy employees are Health and Wellbeing Queensland’s most valuable asset – so supporting our people to be and stay well is vital. As a small organisation, we must implement and evaluate simple actions that don’t cost a lot of money. These initiatives form part of our workplace wellbeing toolbox for others to adapt or implement, such as our Hour of Power (PDF,486KB): a daily, unpaid, dedicated time for staff to focus on their own wellbeing.
We have an obligation to protect and improve the health, safety and wellbeing of our employees, with the by-product being improved productivity and performance – and that’s a triple bottom line win.
Healthy environment
- End-of-trip facilities
- Full kitchen amenities
- Healthy food and drink options
- Sit-to-stand desks
Healthy organisation
- Flexible and hybrid arrangements
- Sanctioned meeting-free time
- Workplace joy strategies, i.e dog-friendly workplace
- Access to an Employee Assistance Program
- Dedicated wellbeing time (Hour of Power PDF, 486KB)
Healthy people
- Acknowledging awareness days
- Team challenges and events
- Workplace champions
- Celebrating achievements and milestones
Our top tips for boosting health and wellbeing
For more ideas and inspiration on how to support health and wellbeing in your organisation, check out our tips below and the Work health and wellbeing interventions tool.
Improving workplace health, safety and wellbeing
In every work environment there are hazards which can impact our health and wellbeing. Some risks can be obvious, like physical hazards which cause trips and slips. Other hazards may be harder to see, such as poorly designed tasks and workspaces, excessive workloads, or a poor workplace culture.
There are many ways that organisations can improve their work practices to support health and wellbeing, including embedding policies, procedures and processes that encourage and enable a healthy workplace culture.
An important part of creating a healthier workplace is empowering everyone to be involved in creating workplace practices which support people’s health, safety and wellbeing.
To start creating, or to build on an existing a healthier workplace strategy, check out Workplace Health and Safety Queensland’s Work health and wellbeing toolkit or contact My health for life and sign up to the 10,000 steps program.
To identify gaps and opportunities to improve workplace health and wellbeing in your organisation, try these tools from Workplace Health and Safety Queensland.
Tools and resources
Work health and wellbeing toolkit
A practical guide to developing a successful healthy workplace program
Healthy workplace audit tool
A tool to assess workplace systems and environments and identify areas for improvement
Healthy workers survey
Identify, assess, and create strategies for work health and wellbeing risks
Healthy and safe work environment
Learn how to create a foundation for a safe and healthy work environment
Creating safe work
Information and resources about protecting employees from injury and illness
Mentally healthy workplaces
Tools, information and resources to support mentally healthy workplaces
Work health and wellbeing interventions tool
Develop interventions to manage work health and wellbeing risks
Work health and wellbeing online learning course
An interactive course for creating business systems to improve the health of workers and workplaces
Blog
Work health and wellbeing articles
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