Call for more firms to join project to get workers moving more

Researchers from the School of Health and Life Sciences are calling for small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Glasgow area to get behind a new project to combat sedentary behaviour in the workplace.

Two SMEs, including Glasgow-based construction company Multiplex, have already signed up but one other business in any sector is needed to complete the free study, which would cost a minimum of £5,000 on the open market.

The Workplace Health Co-Creation Study is being run by Glasgow Caledonian University researchers Mira Vogelsang and Lauren McCaffrey who hope it will create a blueprint for other companies wishing to protect and improve the health of their employees.

Public Health Scotland's Healthy Working Lives, which has information and resources to help businesses support their workers' mental health and wellbeing, has helped promote the project.

For Multiplex, the results are proving positive and they have already introduced a range of initiatives to improve the health of their workforce.

The company's Health and Safety Manager Ross Thomson – whose wife's an A&E nurse and regularly sees heart attacks and strokes caused by unhealthy lifestyles – said the study was a "great opportunity" for the company to invest and help those often overlooked in the construction industry.

"We all know there is a problem with sitting all day but it is probably something that does not get enough attention," he said.

Ross added that it was very easy to "slip into a culture of bums on seats", particularly since the pandemic lockdowns.

The idea of the study is to encourage workers to form health groups to create solutions that will work for everyone in their particular workplace.

"We are trying to prevent ill health so it is about education and making sure the team have the opportunities to get up and about as it is very easy for our office-based staff to duck down on a busy day with tight deadlines," said Ross.

"They might feel compelled to sit at their desk at all times, then go home and just want to relax but this is about giving people practical solutions to get out and about."

Around half of the current 80-strong workforce at Multiplex are office-based, with designers, technical staff, quantity surveyors among the roles.

Since getting involved in the project, the Multiplex health group have introduced new ways of working such as standing desks, the use of Strava for those who want to track their steps, meetings on-site instead of in the office and a 'bring your dog to work day' to encourage people to use their breaks to walk their dogs.

Ross said: "We have only been doing this for three or four weeks but I have already noticed a difference."

Mira and Lauren are part of GCU's Europe-wide Health CASCADE project, aimed at developing co-creation into a scientific method and training the next generation of public health researchers.  They are also part of the University's Research Centre for Health, which makes a direct and significant contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 – good health and wellbeing.

The €4 million EU-funded Marie Curie project is training 15 talented PhD researchers throughout Europe to turn them into leaders in the field of public health research.

Lauren is monitoring the experience of the workers drawing up the plans for more movement.

She said: "I want to see if we can make the process as enjoyable and engaging as possible because then it is more likely that people will come and create a solution together that is tailored to their needs and what they would like to see change in their company.

"They come up with an action plan and implement that. We are focusing on small-to-medium-sized enterprises because they don't have the same resources as large companies."

Mira said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for SMEs to get the help and support they need to get make their workplaces as healthy as they possibly can.

"This service would cost a minimum of £5,000 on the open market but the companies who sign up to our research project will get it free of charge."

"We help build the workgroup's skills and give them tools in the workshops to remain an effective Health Workgroup for the future."

Find out more about the project and sign up - https://www.workplacehealthstudy.co.uk/ or contact the researchers directly by email mira.vogelsang@gcu.ac.uk or lauren.mccaffrey@gcu.ac.uk