Doing the right thing...
Water Wellpoint – Response to Mellon lawsuit
DOING THE RIGHT THING COULD SAVE MILLIONS
Water Wellpoint warns businesses must fulfil their duty of care obligations to employees and avoid ‘stress’ lawsuits
Leading wellbeing business, Water Wellpoint, is responding to the news that the London office of Bank of New York Mellon is facing a £1m lawsuit for workplace stress.
“The case of James Lazarus, reported in the media this week, highlights just how vulnerable businesses are if they don’t take heed of employees under pressure”, commented Rory Murphy, External Affairs, Water Wellpoint. “Unfortunately, I think the reality is that many more businesses are going to face actions like this – simply because they didn’t fulfil their duty of care obligations to their staff.
“Yet it is pretty simple to implement health monitoring facilities for employees that are inclusive, but not intrusive. And therefore, give both employer and employee the ability to identify any health issues before they create long-term problems.”
A recent survey* conducted by Water Wellpoint revealed that 72% of respondents work longer than their basic hours and 27% work late every day. Water Wellpoint believes this binge working culture could have long-term repercussions for UK businesses as the country emerges from the recession.
“34% of respondents to our survey said that they work longer hours now to meet increased deadlines and targets” continued Rory Murphy. “In fact, working late now seems to be standard practice, with nearly a third of workers (29%) staying after hours twice a week and 27% working overtime every day. And they are not alone, nearly half (48%) said their colleagues work overtime too.”
Water Wellpoint recognises the importance of putting in place measures that help alert people to any potential health problems. “People need to be continually monitoring their general health – prevention is the key – not just to wait for something to happen” added Rory Murphy. “And as the Bank of New York Mellon case illustrates, not doing anything could risk a costly lawsuit for the employer too!”
Water Wellpoint works with a number of public and private sector employers to help them manage the wellbeing of their staff in a highly engaging and cost-effective way.
The Water Wellpoint Kiosk gives employees the facility to self-test six key health indicators, providing an early-warning system for potential problems, as well as a way for each individual to identify areas they can work on to improve their personal health and wellbeing. The six key indicators of their general health include heart rate, blood pressure, body mass index, body fat content, weight and hydration quota. And these can be measured simply and accurately in around five minutes.
“As binge working becomes the norm, it is more important than ever that businesses look after the health of their staff, working with organisations like ours to help employees manage their own health” concluded Rory Murphy. “Indeed, with 1 in 4 respondents saying they were motivated in the workplace by the introduction of a wellbeing programme, it is clear that investing in the health of staff can reap enormous benefits during this current economic downturn.”
Rory Murphy, a former Trade Union General Secretary, is available for comment on this research. Please contact the Water Wellpoint Press Office on 020 8977 9132.
THE WATER WELLPOINT BINGE WORKING SURVEY – KEY FACTS
What are your official working hours per week?
35 hours a week – 34%
40 hours a week – 40%
More than 40 hours a week – 12%
Do you ever work more than your basic hours?
Yes – 72%
If yes, on average how many times per week?
Once a week – 15%
Twice a week – 29%
Three times a week – 18%
Four times a week – 11%
Every day – 27%
Do your immediate colleagues work overtime?
Yes – 48%
Have you seen a change in working habits in your company since the start of the recession?
Yes – 43%
May 2010
*Water Wellpoint surveyed workers during October and November 2009 – 152 responses were received to its survey.
For further press information please contact the Water Wellpoint Press Office at HSL:
Louise Fowler/Wendy Harrison – 020 8977 9132
