The Port of Tyne is celebrating achieving the North East Better Health at Work Bronze Award for promoting better health in the workplace.
Launched in July 2014 the Port of Tyne’s ‘Help Yourself to Health’ campaigns have raised awareness and supported employees in improving their health and wellbeing.
The initiatives include information, incentives and specialist support to help people make healthy lifestyle choices.
Port of Tyne Director of Human Resources, Geoff Gillon, said: “Winning the Better Health at Work Bronze Award is a great step in the right direction.
“Employees have embraced the health and wellbeing campaigns with enthusiasm and their support, advice and feedback is already helping to plan new initiatives, which we hope will help us achieve the Silver Award next.”
So far the Port has tackled subjects such as first aid hints and tips, healthy eating, fitness and exercise and a 12-week programme to help employees to stop smoking.
As a result employees reported that they have improved fitness, increased levels of engagement and even recorded reduced numbers of accidents at work.
South Tyneside Council Programme Lead for Change4Life, Janice Chandler, said: “The health and wellbeing programme at the Port of Tyne has made a huge impact on employee engagement – as part of the 2015 Employee Survey the Port asked staff if they appreciated the benefits the Port offers to them in relation to health and wellbeing and a massive 94% of the 77% who responded said that they did.
“The Port of Tyne’s commitment and enthusiasm has been instrumental in taking the workplace health agenda forward. Health advocates are clearly proactive in organising campaigns and promoting health and wellbeing information to the workforce.”
Achieving the North East Better Health at Work Bronze Award means the Port of Tyne joins more than 300 other employers in the North East who participated in the Award last year, demonstrating the value they place on the health and wellbeing of their collective 190,000 employees across North East England.