A healthy working environment is essential for a happy and productive workforce. These general health articles are aimed at promoting a productive workforce.

What is a healthy working environment?

Put simply, a healthy working environment is a workplace where both management and employees work together to promote healthy actions and behaviours to keep everyone safe and well. The World Health Organisation characterised a healthy working environment as one in which “there is not only an absence of harmful conditions (that can cause injury and illness) but an abundance of health-promoting ones”.

There are quite a few factors that go into what makes a healthy work environment. There is the minimum physical space that is safe and clean — well sanitised, socially-distanced workspaces, clean air filters, etc. — but it goes beyond that, of course.

A healthy workplace is one where employees thrive in their work projects and feel fulfilled while also staying physically and mentally healthy. They’re productive and feel supported, which leads to reduced absenteeism, illness, conflict, and, ultimately, turnover.

The Workplace Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations – which became law in 1993 – lay down minimum standards for workplaces and work in or near buildings. These regulations apply to most types of workplace except transport, construction sites and domestic premises. Workplaces must be suitable for all who work in them, including workers with any kind of disability.