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AstraZeneca - Health and Well-being in AstraZeneca

UnumProvident Healthy Workplaces Award 2005 supported by the Department of Health and in association with the Health and Safety Executive

AstraZeneca recognises that employees are their most important resource, and providing a healthy, safe and energising work environment is a fundamental consideration. Their ‘Health and Wellbeing in AstraZeneca’ programme is designed promote physical and psychological welfare and to help their employees cope with demanding jobs and busy lives.

Processes

AstraZeneca is an international healthcare business employing 58,000 people globally, with 10,000 working in the UK.

The programme aims to identify and communicate global principles that underpin their commitment to the wellbeing of employees and actions that effectively promote health and wellbeing. This enables AstraZeneca to attract, develop and retain top talent, and contributes to reducing the impact of ill health.

The company has a SHE target for all its facilities to offer wellbeing programmes with the objective that more than 75% of employees having access to a formal wellbeing programme by 2005.

The 'Health and Wellbeing in AstraZeneca' programme offers a range of health promotion activities relating to musculoskeletal disorders, heart disease, smoking cessation support, encouragement to take exercise, and stress management.

Their Counselling and Life Management (CALM) programme addresses wellbeing in the workplace and offers confidential personal support for both work and non-work related issues. They also offer Rehabilitation / Return To Work programmes following sickness absence operated in conjunction with line managers, occupational health and human resource professionals.

Benefits

The overall sickness absence figures for AstraZeneca employees are low in comparison with the CBI average for large companies. According to the CBI report 10.2 days is the average per employee per year, whilst AstraZeneca achieves 6.92 days lost per employee per year.

During 2004 an 8.5% reduction in sickness absence was achieved over the previous year, due to an integrated approach by HR, OH and line management focusing on rehabilitation and case management.

Well-screening programmes have enabled early detection of potentially serious illnesses e.g. prostate and breast cancer.

The occupational health and safety programmes have delivered a 41% improvement in the frequency rates for accidents with injury and new cases of occupational illness by 2004 against a target of a 30% reduction (compared with a 2001/02 reference point).

The CALM programme contributes to a reduction in health insurance spend for psychological illness. Data indicates that. normally psychological and psychiatric conditions (for companies of a similar size) are responsible for 7% of the total claims (for all conditions). AstaZeneca's claims are, however, only 4% of the total.

Impact

The 2004 employee opinion survey showed that 86% thought that AstraZeneca demonstrated commitment to the health and wellbeing of its employees;
80% said they had enough flexibility in their job to be able to balance work and personal life;
84% of employees were proud to work for AstraZeneca;
and 82% would recommend it as a good place to work.
A survey of 643 UK employees conducted to examine their attitudes towards the counselling & life management programme found that 92% supported the provision of workplace counselling and considered it important that employers provide such services;
95% agreed it could help people in distress;
employees did not associate any stigma with workplace counselling;
and 83% of employees were aware of the support available and users viewed management support positively.