Any sign of new moustaches blossoming in your workplace yet? It’s that time of year when faces get furry to raise money for charity – and to raise awareness of men’s health.
The annual Movember charity campaign across the UK and the rest of the world is a lot of fun, but it also has a serious purpose, highlighting the issues that can affect men particularly.
And because anyone who runs a workplace, commercial or medical premises has a legal responsibility to provide the conditions where wellness can thrive for staff, visitors and customers, it’s the perfect time to put even more of a focus on health and safety than usual.
Men’s health – did you know:
- Men live 4 years less than women, often for preventable reasons
- 3 out of 4 suicides are among men
So here are 10 things you and your colleagues can do together to help:
1. Grow a Mo – or sponsor someone who is, and raise money for the Movember charity!
2. Make a move: Do a Movember fundraising run or walk this month
3. Talk about mental health at work: make your premises a place where people feel free to talk about stress or anxiety
4. Encourage everyone to keep a friendly eye out: Take notice if someone at work seems to be changing their behaviour, withdrawing or not doing so well in their job – they might need help
5. Encourage men at work to look after their physical health: share info about prostate and testicular cancer, cardiovascular health and the importance of recognising symptoms.
6. Make sure your place is safe: a regular health and safety assessment is a legal obligation for work and commercial premises, but it’s also a great opportunity to ask a Bison expert to help you spot and mitigate potentially costly problems
7. Stamp out the chance of infections: your water system must be checked regularly for potentially deadly Legionella
8. Remove obstacles that make it hard to work: providing good access for people with any kind of disability makes your workplace a healthy place to be (and keeps you compliant with regulations).
9. Train your managers: no-one expects them to be experts, but they should know how spot signs of distress, how to respond to concerns and how to follow your organisation’s health and safety policies.
10. Don’t make Movember the end! Supporting men’s health is about creating a workplace where people can feel comfortable, valued and productive – all year round.
Get your workplace or businesses a health check. It pays off in so many ways, making a happy and safe place to work that retains staff, reduces sick days and helps everyone do the best job they can, every day. Win win!
Book your health and safety assessments or ask our experts a question here.
- Join in the Movember fun – share your moustache pics with us on our LinkedIn page and tell us how you are raising money and awareness of men’s health where you work!