Prioritising health and safety as workers return to the office

As the effects of the pandemic ease, more and more employers are insisting that workers return to the office.

With the return of on-site workers, businesses should be making sure that the health and safety of employees are considered.

Most businesses are doing the right thing, according to research by office product company COS. The research revealed that 75 per cent of Australian employees believe their company prioritises their health in the workplace.

However, there are still around a quarter who believe their company does not prioritise their health, highlighting there is more that can be done.

Amie Lyone, co-chief executive at COS commented: “With most Australians back in the office full time, there is even more importance for businesses to prioritise the health and wellbeing of their staff.

“With the rise in living costs and many companies reducing staff numbers, pressure is mounting. Employees want to know their company cares about their health and this in turn will result in a happier more productive workforce.”

According to COS, the most common health and safety concerns of employees are:

• Too much clutter around the office (48 per cent)
• Worried they’ll get sick (34 per cent)
• No protective clothing (16 per cent)
• No signage for wet floors (14 per cent)

However, 66 per cent believe their employer is prioritising health and safety more than they were two years ago. Some of the main health considerations are:

• Hand sanitiser (84 per cent)
• Cleaning products for desks (61 per cent)
• Masks (57 per cent)
• Anti-bacterial soap (56 per cent)
• Social distancing (49 per cent)
• RATs available (47 per cent)

Despite this data, just half believe their employer is doing an adequate job in addressing hygiene concerns and 19 per cent said they weren’t satisfied at all.

Employers could benefit by providing incentives or programs to prioritise health. According to COS, 63 per cent of respondents said their workplace does not offer any kind of health incentive or program.

The most common types of these offers are:

• Mental health support (44 per cent)
• Fun incentives and rewards (34 per cent)
• Healthcare benefits (28 per cent)
• Gym membership (24 per cent)

One worthwhile benefit to provide could be healthy food options, with 58 per cent noting they’d like to see more offered by their employer.

Ms Lyone added: “Businesses need to understand how they can be supporting their teams more. This could be through better incentives, improved health and safety standards or simply reviewing the snacks and food they are offering staff.”

The most common food options at businesses were:

• Fruit (50 per cent)
• Chips (29 per cent)
• Lollies (27 per cent)

Reviewing food options could help keep staff happy, as 48 per cent said they’d prefer better options to stay healthy. Furthermore, 43 per cent said it would make them feel more productive, 29 per cent don’t have the time to go and get their own food, and 27 per cent find it hard to resist unhealthy food.