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Case Study: United Biscuits

Improving Health and Wellbeing

Looking after the health, safety and well-being of its employees is vitally important to UB. The company provides support to improve employee health as well as measures to prevent ill health.

Avoiding accidents and occupational injuries is the obvious first step but UB also recognises the need to provide employees with an extensive occupational health service not only to identify conditions early and ensure appropriate care but also to educate employees to maximize their wellbeing.

UB's programme includes a range of measures to prevent problems occurring and to aid employees when they do, including:

• Periodic health assessments for all employees with a three yearly rolling programme
• Physiotherapy available at all sites
• Vocational rehabilitation and support to enable return earliest possible return to the workplace
• Various health promotion activities to raise awareness of health issues, eg smoking cessation, cholesterol awareness, fitness etc.
• Mini MOT lifestyle checks
• Occupational Health Departments at every site
• Company funded counselling
• Chiropody service at many sites.

Prompt access to a team of specialists allows early detection and appropriate intervention for many health problems. This avoids issues becoming chronic and provides better outcomes for health. 98% of the users of the physiotherapy service gave positive feedback regarding treatment, support and rehabilitation programmes and around 80% had a marked or full recovery following intervention.

An programme at UB's Consett factory to address musculoskeletal health won a top award at the Occupational Health Awards at the end of 2008 with the judge commenting that it was a ”multi faceted intervention that showed how focused professionals spearheaded organizational change to reverse musculoskeletal harm.”

Where possible, the business provides recreation facilities to encourage physical activity ranging from sports fields to fitness equipment. In 2008 an extensive gym was built at the head office, which has attracted nearly half of the workforce as members and a number of regularly visiting employees.