Public Health

Our Appeal

The Healthy Working Lives Group Campaign

What is a Healthy Working Life?

It's one in which an individual has the ability to do as much as they'd like, for as long as desired, in both their working and nonworking life.  This can be achieved by providing the necessary support at the right time.

The healthy working lives group’s purpose is to undertake research and teaching to improve the health and workability of the population. 

Why is this research and teaching important for all of us?

  • We are an ageing society and our population is declining
  • This affects the productivity of our workforce
  • Sickness absence costs UK industry at least £13 billion per year
  • Around 2.6 million people in the UK, 335,000 in Scotland, claim long term sickness and or disability benefits - this is a major cause of health inequality and deprivation

What can we do?

  • There is good evidence that many of the above could be rehabilitated into work
  • There is good evidence that a safe job and keeping people active for longer improves health and life expectancy

To strengthen and expand the academic base of the HWLG and create a sustainable future, we need funding for the following:

  • A senior academic leader in occupational health
  • 2 non clinical lecturer posts
  • A research/financial administrator

Why are we seeking support?

To date the group has been sustained entirely by research income and donations - this has exceeded £5 million in the past 5 years.   However, there is a lack of resource to meet the demand for teaching and research into these problem areas.  It is important to raise the profile of health problems of working age people; provide support to industry, enterprises and social partners; continue policy forming research, all aimed at improving the socio-economic capacity of the country, and the wellbeing of individuals.
 

To succeed we need the support of businesses, work unions and concerned individuals, in understanding the many benefits of a healthy working life to both an individual and society as a whole. 

For further information please contact:

Professor Ewan Macdonald at ewan.macdonald@glasgow.ac.uk or

Mrs Debbie Garrett at debbie.garrett@glasgow.ac.uk on 0141 330 3719