Roundtable Global Alliance for Healthy Workplaces, World Bank, Washington DC, 6th June

Washington DC played host to the most important gathering of employers around the world determined to put health and wellbeing at the top of the agenda for investors. The two day event of 100 business leaders representing over 40 countries is the 4th such gathering organised by the Global Centre for Healthy Workplaces in partnership with FIESC/SESI and the American University.

Held over two days, 6th and 7th June, the participants, meeting initially at a Global Alliance roundtable hosted by the World Bank prior to a wider gathering hosted at the American University, issued the ‘Washington Statement’ firmly placing the focus of workplace wellbeing on delivering improvements in productivity.

The Washington Statement said that a concrete outcome is that the hosts undertake to commission a study into the relevance and implications for investors of healthy workplace programs with the aim of presenting a report.

Co-director of the Global Centre of Healthy Workplaces, Tommy Hutchinson, said “Investors are increasingly raising employee health and wellbeing as an underlying factor in determining the performance of their businesses. We know for instance, from previous studies which we have conducted with Buck Consulting that stress is the number one concern raised by employers. What we now want to do is examine more closely how investors measure this and the value they put on health and wellbeing.”

The study will be led by Dr. Derek Yach, Chief Health Officer, Vitality. He said, “Leading policy makers and business leaders recognize the value of effective workplace health programs in addressing healthcare costs, workplace productivity and morale. This study will gain insights from influential groups like investors and asset managers that we believe will lead to increased support for workplace health programs in ways that have previously been successful in establishing stronger workplace environmental programs.”

FIESC’s President and Global Ambassador for Healthy Workplaces, Glauco José Côrte, added, “The Brazilian economy is going through a particularly difficult periods. We do not view health and wellbeing as a drag on productivity. On the contrary, a healthy workforce is absolutely vital in achieving sustained performance and growth”. For SESI’s Superintendent, Fabrizio Machado Pereira, “this is why we place such importance on sharing of information on best practice and raising the overall aspirations of all employers.”