HR Industry News

Police Force benefits from wellbeing initiatives

— 23 April 2007 —

A UK police force says it has cut absenteeism by a quarter after introducing its own series of wellbeing initiatives.

Kent Police worked with business psychology firm Robertson Cooper to introduce Asset – its stress diagnostic tool – and made a collective saving of 18,600 days annually amongst its 6,200 staff.

An attendance management programme was also put in place in 2003 to train line managers to identify certain trigger points for stress and absenteeism. The force also runs regular health initiatives, a health 'MOT' test, clinics and masterclasses to advise on diet and fitness.

Combinations of health initiatives work well and these can be augmented by the use of Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) which can provide support and advice 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Employees respond well to such accessibility and the range of topics that are available.Paul Avis, Corporate Development Manager, Ceridian

Paul Smith, of the personnel and training division, said that the force had also seen increased levels of commitment from its staff and the organisation itself.

In addition to reducing absenteeism by the equivalent of three days per person per year, collectively, the organisation is now fitter and healthier than the UK national average.

Gordon Tinline, Consultant with Robertson Cooper, added that the results are proof that wellbeing initiatives are really working for the police force and with best practice sharing across forces in the UK, real improvements to the productivity of the UK police force can be made from bite-sized initiatives.

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