Blogs

Guest blog by Karin Brawn Spare a thought for the small business owner. They must secure a continuing revenue stream and stay ahead of the curve. They must also know about health and safety, risk, employment law, tax, and environmental impact. SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) face the…

Reforming policy to promote good work and health - HR and OH working together A SOM CIPD House of Lords roundtable on 28th February Lord Blunkett and Lord Bethell emphasised the critical role of occupational health (OH) to help address the record 2.6 million people who do not work due to long-term…

Guest blog by Suzanne Clarkson Psychosocial risk management is vital but will not (on its own) automatically result in a happy, healthy, and thriving workforce; all of which can be encapsulated in the term ‘employee wellbeing’. Balance and joined-up thinking are needed, because employee wellbeing is…

Guest blog by Ann-Marie Adiku, Occupational Health Nurse My journey to occupational health (OH) began in 2021. My skin condition had flared up to the point where it became difficult to work safely and effectively as a nurse in a clinical setting with patients. I became a patient, under the care of…

Guest blog by Sharon Isaac-Upton and Giulia Villanucci Clean indoor air is essential for our health and wellbeing, offering relief to asthma and allergy sufferers and reducing disease transmission. This is especially important in clinical rooms with no windows and limited airflow. HEPA (High…

Guest blog by Beverly Knops, Specialist Occupational Therapist I have been working with people experiencing persistent symptoms following COVID-19 since 2020. At this point I was using the term ‘Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome.’ Following publication of the NICE COVID-19 rapid guidelines in December…

Guest blog by Helen Fitzhugh, Senior Research Associate, University of East Anglia The first time I started speaking to people about what makes good workplace wellbeing, it was 2017, I was armed with a small, newly developed infographic on one side of A4 paper entitled ‘How to Improve Workplace…

Guest blog by Faye Chappell, Workforce Development Coach People are often promoted into leadership positions because they are high performing and not necessarily because they want to become leaders. The transition to a leadership position can be a lonely one. High performing individuals can find the…

Guest blog by Jenny Barrett, Wellbeing HR Manager at RSPB “Your organisation is just about running bird reserves, isn’t it? Surely that is good for people’s wellbeing?” This was the reaction of a friend when I was appointed in December 2022 to the new role of Wellbeing Manager in the RSPB. This is…

SOM and COHPA thank everyone involved, from the Federation of Small Businesses to the Department of Health and Social Care and Department for Work and Pensions, SOM and COHPA members and Occupational Health Companies who marked the event. An increased focus on workplace health has never been more…

Guest blog for Occupational Health Awareness Week 2023 - by Louis Taylor, Consulting Business Psychologist Neurodiversity refers to the different ways in which a person's brain processes information. According to Acas , more than one in seven individuals are likely to be neurodivergent. However…

Guest blog for Occupational Health Awareness Week 2023 - by Janet O'Neill, NSOH Awareness weeks bring attention to important subjects; a fresh day approach, creating a platform to educate and inform. Occupational health (OH) is a subject of rising importance with awareness needed. But what are we…