It has been dwelling on my mind recently - what makes a good return to work (RTW) programme? What makes one work better than another? Is is the type of injury or illness? Maybe. It is the chance that the employee gets seen by a medical or health practitioner who actually knows something about work and health?  Maybe. Is it that the new fandangled techno treatment has suddenly found a cure? Probably not.

So, what is it? Often the people who get back to work quickly and effectively are the

Back to Work interviews or Return to Work interviews are considered to be an effective way to managing absence according to the CIPD absence managment survey in 2008. Following closely was the use of trigger mechanisms for reviewing attendance and the use of discplinary procedures for short term absences. For long term absence, the additional approaches employed by HR are provsion of occupational health support, provision of a rehabilitation programme, and the use of flexible working.

But, do back to work interviews really help shorten absence? This depends on when and how you use them

In Wales in 2008 there has been a trial of the use of electronic "fit notes" but what does this mean and how might it help your business?

As part of the strategy to make us all more healthy and able to work the focus is moving to what someone is able to do instead of what they are not able to do. Now, in occupational health this approach has been used for a long time. What supervisors and managers want to hear is what the employee CAN do at work and not what they CAN'T do at work.

Making the first move in managing sickness absence could be one of the best things you can do to save money for your buiness in the downturn. A little recognised tactic that save more £££s than swapping energy suppliers could be the key to more efficient and productive workers.

I am continually reminded by this when i see employees for businesses, and for some reason the employee has now been off work for over six months. Did you now that anyone who has been off work over sixth months has a less than 50% chance of getting back to work?  Because of the complications that set in when a person has been left langushing with daytime TV and feelng forgotten it becomes harder and harder with every passing day - their physical and mental state deteriorate and although they might have been able to cope at work with a  mild health problem the realites of that are fading fast.

On 25th November 2008 the government published it's response to the Black Report (April 2008). Amongst the 80 somethign pages most of the issues highlighted by Dame Black are addressed, and a number of initiatives identified in key areas. The government is calling these "aspirations that demonstrate how we will rise to the challenges set (by Dame Carol) and which will enable the delivery of our broader vision".

The areas are:

1. Creating new perspectives on health and work (Chapter 2)

2. Improving work and work places (Chapter 3)

3. Supporting people to work (Chapter 4)

Everyone is trying to save money at the moment, and businesses are no exception. I am goign through some cost cutting myself to enable the business to run more effciently. A recent ACAS survey actually reckoned that a business could save more money by managing absence better than be traditional cost cutting methods. So a proactive strategy can save money as well as tick all the H&S and HR boxes.

I want to show you just a few ways today that your business could save money - at least £100 by implementing just the top tip:

The what? Yes it is a bit of a mouthful, and from now on we'll refer to it as the BPS approach.

Now, it is important because there is evidence to suggest that using the BPS approach is more effective at rehabilitating people that not, especially in those who have back pain and further research is being done to see if it is important in other types of condition, which we suspect it is.

So to break it down and explain it a bit:

The BPS approach is a "model" of working that suggests that:

• Biological
• Psychological and
• Social factors

all interact to play a part in the funtion of the human body, and can have an impact on the other elements in the system. Simply it recognises the body-mind relationship and the social context in which the person concerned lives and works and how these affect someone.

In the EEF's 2007 survey of members the "employee health condition" was cited as the No. 1 Barrier to return to work for companies to deal with.

I epxect that this is a common experience for many managers dealing with HR or H&S. Just as you think you are making progress, you get presented with a sick note with "back pain" or "depression" emblazoned across it and your heart sinks. Probably you don't know a huge amount about the condition and how it should be managed or treated, and you become dependent on information from the medical professionals.

And, you've been there before - asked for a GP report and got a letter that really wasn't very helpful. in defence of the GP, they probably have never visited your work site and are being cautious. But where does that leave you?

Have you heard the story about the elephant and the blind men? I'm sure you have, (apparantly it is based on a poem - click here for a link to the story), but I think what we understand Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) to be is a bit like that story.

So, it goes a bit like this - there were 6 blind men. Each one of the felt one part of the elephant -They were then asked to explain what they thought an elephant was like - and guess what, there were 6 different answers, all fair suggestions for the part they touched (a wall, a spear, a snake, a fan, a tree, a rope), but all radically different, so the other men weren't even sure that they were touching the same animal and they went away arguing. They were all right, but also all wrong because the whole elephant wasn't anything like each of those things.

And so it is with VR - depending on which bit you touch, experience and are involved in very much shapes

Red and yellow and pink and blue... and so begins a song I think?!

It is a bit like this now when it comes to flags for rehabilitation and elsewhere on this website and in other documents you may have heard peope talking about this flag and that flag, and still have no idea! Essentially flags are things that may indicate a problem or in this context an obstacle or barrier to recovery, or return to work. So here is the whistle stop guide to flags in rehabilitation:

(Some authors vary on the exact definitions, but we'll start with an overview then go into more detail in future articles.)

The Black Report has identified some key "foundations" and a new vision for health and work in Britain which seeks to demonstrate the links between work and health and the need for them to be recognised as integral to the future of every level of society from individuals to corporations and communities.

Three principle objectives: (Chapter 1 - Working for a Healthier Tomorrow)

1. Prevention of illness and promotion of health and well-being
2. Early intervention for those who develop a health condition
3. An improvement in the health of those out of work - so that everyone with the potential to work has the support they need to do so

To be fit or not so fit - is that the question?

Having just watched the 2008 Wimbledon final, we may well ask, - "fitness" is on a continuum - most of us near one end, and the few dedicated souls at the other looking amazonian or like something out of a greek mythology. 

Fitness for work is one big hot potato, but it can be made easily manageable by asking what do we really mean by being fit.

My PE teacher drilled it into us -

FIT for WHAT?

This is the question we need to ask when looking at fitness for work.

A New approach to health and work...

You may have heard it before, and we all have days we are really not so sure, but for most of us, there is evidence that the right kind of work is actually good for physical and mental health and well-being (Waddell and Burton 2006). This contradicts many a work place belief that illness means a person is unable to work.

Work should be "good" work - What does that mean? - "healthy, safe and offers the individual some influence over how work is done and a sense of self worth". In many studies the beneficial effects of work are greater than the risks and much greater than the problems caused by long term sickness or worklessness.

So why do we need a new approach?

What Does It Mean For Your Business

There is plenty in the Black report to consider for businesses in any sector, but particularly some good news for SMEs in the long term. Over subsequent articles we'll unpack the recommendations to see how they could have an impact on your business:

• There are messages about measuring absence, and bringing its attention to those at the highest level in a business.
• As with any business expenditure - assessing whether investment in the business is yielding a return on investment in terms of productivity and efficiency and cost savings.

What: The first ever review of the Health of Britain’s Working Age  Population – "Working for a Healthier Tomorrow"

Why: Commissioned by the Secretary of State for Health and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions: Purpose:

1. To measure the economic costs of ill health and its impact on work. To consider the health of people or working age in Britain and the consequences of this for society, families, children, workplaces and communities
2. To identify key challenges & factors that prevent good health
3. Identify recommendations for ways in which the health of working age people can be improved

As with many of these types of reports, shocking figures jar us into reality and make us sit up and listen. It starts to debunk the myths of society that lead us to believe that nothing can be done about the problems of ill health and worklessness..

This is no different, so from the Introduction to the Report  - "175 million working days were lost to illness in 2006". The economic cost is huge - estimated £100 billion (more than the NHS annual budget) - and some of this is out of the pocket of your business.