Free advice on workplace health: The Health for Work Adviceline for Small Business

In December 2009, the new Health for Work Adviceline for Small Business was launched as part of the Government’s initiative to help people stay in work or return to work more quickly when they develop a health condition or impairment.

The Health for Work Adviceline gives small business managers early and easy access to high quality, professional advice tailored to their needs, in response to individual employee health issues at work, including mental health support. Qualified occupational health nurses will be available to take calls during office hours to provide advice to managers of small businesses on any occupational health issue affecting an individual employee.

The Health for Work adviceline will also help small business managers to understand how to manage future cases of employee ill health and sickness absence and how to introduce healthier working practices that will positively impact all members of staff.

Occupational Health Services

Occupational health services benefit employers and employees by helping you to implement wellbeing programs promoting a healthy workforce and reducing absenteeism in the workplace. Calling the Adviceline is the easiest way for you to access effective occupational health services.  The NHS has vast expertise in delivering health, work and wellbeing services, and you will be put in touch with your local expert occupational health advisors. Working within the NHS, they can help you with any aspect of staff health care.

Mental Health in the Workplace

Small businesses can now have access to the mental health support they need to help employees if they are experiencing mental ill health at work. The Adviceline will connect you with local mental health experts within the NHS.

Managing Stress at Work

Get advice about how to provide immediate and appropriate support to a valued employee suffering from stress at work.

Advice on dealing with Depression in the Workplace

Understand your role in assisting the depressed member of staff to get back to work. How you can give the right care, when to give it and why depressed people feel the way they do. NHS Plus Occupational Health Providers will provide you with expert advice and support so you can tackle depression at work issues.

Sickness Absence Management

Learn to manage extended periods of illness in a fair and realistic way while promoting a speedy return to work. Keeping in touch with the absentee on a regular basis is essential. The Adviceline will guide you through your role in sickness absence management.

Health Risk Assessment

A regular health risk assessment will help you to maintain a healthy workforce which helps your business to remain profitable. The Adviceline can advise you on how to undertake stress risk assessments, return to work assessments after long-term sickness absence, and ongoing monitoring of employee wellbeing.

Advice on how to improve Employee Retention

Employee retention is an important issue affecting all businesses. Professional experts will advise you on how to retain your staff through the implementation of wellbeing strategies to address and improve the health of your key employees.

Contact details

Health at Work Adviceline for Small Business - visit the website for more detailed information.

Alternatively, you can contact the free Adviceline using the freephone number 0800 077 88 44 during working hours when you will be connected to a local professional who will be happy to discuss your specific requirements further. Outside normal working hours if you visit the website you can fill in a callback form for a local expert to call you back within two hours of the next working day.