Invest in employees’ health, safety – Minister tells employers
Ghana Business Coalition on Employee Wellbeing (GBCEW), a non-governmental organization was launched on Friday in Accra with a call on employers to invest in the health and safety of their employees to maximize productivity.
Mr Moses Asaga, Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, who made the call said, workplace wellbeing was very high on the Ministry’s agenda and commended the organizers for their efforts and vision.
He said a healthy nation and a healthy workforce would no doubt increase productivity and Gross Domestic Product and thereby accelerate the development agenda of that nation.
He encouraged employers to contribute to health insurance and maternity protection schemes of their employees.
The GBCEW would among others, mobilize and empower the Ghana Business Community to take effective action on employee wellbeing in the workplace and beyond, mitigate the impact of communicable and non-communicable diseases on sustained profitability and economic growth through networking.
Ms Hannah Tetteh, Minister of Trade and Industry, in a speech read for her said, employees’ health status affect both their behavior and performance hence the need to improve their health status and wellbeing.
She said employers have no other choice than to pay attention to their employees’ health needs because reduced sickness and disasters would improve productivity.
“It is a collective responsibility of both employers and employees to ensure their wellbeing at workplace,” she said.
Ms Tetteh announced that the Ministry was preparing a new industrial policy to enhance workplace wellbeing and disasters and expressed the hope that when it comes into effect, some of the hazards in relation to workplace would reduce.
Mr Sanjay Rughani, Chairman of GBCEW, said in Ghana, the Ministry of Health, the Ghana Aids Commission, as well as a number of private sector organizations and development partners started working to develop workplace programmes in 2006.
He said it was against that background that the Ghana Business Coalition Against HIV/AIDS (GBCA) was founded to support the private sector in the implementation of HIV economic relationships.
He said the GBCA had chalked many successes over the years and it was expedient to expand their nets to impart further on Employee Wellbeing Programme (EWP).
Mr Rughani, who is also the Finance Director, Standard Chartered Bank, urged employers to use their current resources to make the difference to the nation, adding, “One sick person can affect workplace environment and we need to be proactive to arrest the risks.”
Dr Philip Amoo, Head of Public Health Unit, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, urged employers to invest in Business Continuity Plan for their employees to boost their confidence and that of customers and attract foreign investors to collaborate with them.
Source: GNA