Health & Wellbeing News

How much can stress cost your business? According to Safe Work Australia, you're likely to be paying your share of the $10 billion bill the country is handed each and every year due to employee stress.

That's around $5,000 for each business in Australia, though its a rather unscientific estimate, with the total amount relying on the number of people you employ, as well as how you manage health issues in the workplace.

The Australian population is growing sharply in numbers and becoming older by average at the same time. While this is a good sign that healthcare is largely delivering in the right areas, allowing people to live longer, it also puts an increasing strain on the healthcare industry.

In many ways, Australia is now a safer country than it has perhaps ever been, with workplace accidents and road injuries both consistently falling in recent years. However, while injury rates are dropping, sedentary lifestyles pose a different kind of risk.

Many members of the Australian workforce spend their nine-to-five hours at a desk, in a car or otherwise in an inactive position. Experts say that in the long term, that type of lifestyle is likely to have a negative impact.

When it comes to promoting a healthy culture in the workplace, there are generally three types of employer: those who understand the benefits of a program to boost it and are doing so; those who understand the benefits but are lost on how to do so; and those who have no stance in making such an improvement.

The factor that may be holding back many in the latter category is a recognition of the importance of such an issue. Does improving employee wellbeing really have a positive effect on the business?