More than 1 in 3 north west workers too embarrassed to be seen breaking a sweat

THE British Heart Foundation (BHF) has revealed new survey results which show that 35% of north west workers avoid exercise during their working day because they don’t want to be seen getting hot and sweaty in front of colleagues.  50% spend more than half their working day sitting or standing still.  50% eat lunch at their desks, while 16% of workers feel the pressure to take shorter lunch breaks.  The figures paint a worrying picture of north west workplace habits, with 80% of north west workers failing to get the recommended amount of exercise a week.

The charity releases these statistics to mark World Heart Day on Sunday 26 September and promote its Health at Work programme, which helps workers get active and lead a healthier lifestyle. A recent government report estimates that at the current rate of waistline expansion 36% of men and 28% of women in England will be obese in just five years, paving the way for a surge in heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

The new survey also suggests that workplaces are the perfect location for keeping fit and active, with 49% of north west workers admitting they won’t travel more than 10 minutes from work or home to exercise.

Lisa Purcell, project manager for the BHF’s Health at Work Programme says:- “Embarrassment shouldn’t prevent people from being healthy at work. You don’t have to don a lycra leotard to get fit and healthy, the payoffs from even simple changes like taking a walk at lunchtime are too great to ignore. Getting healthy during the working day means you are less stressed and better motivated.  Bosses need to understand there’s a massive return on investment here. Simple measures to improve the health of your workforce – like swapping tea-break biscuits for fruit, or getting the team together for a lunchtime kickaround in the car park - can improve productivity, reduce staff turnover, and mean fewer sick days.”

The BHF is calling on businesses to take their employee’s health and wellbeing seriously, and start reaping the rewards.  The BHF Health at Work programme, sponsored by Legal and General, has already signed up more than 800 organisations. Employees from bin men to bank tellers are finding there’s no need for blushes when they’re all in it together.

Apprentice celebrity Claire Young is supporting the campaign. She said:- “Since taking part in The Apprentice 2008, I've lost almost four stone through good diet and exercise. All companies need a fit work force – a healthy mind is a productive mind. The more employers look after their employees the better they will perform.  How about banning eating at desks and starting a health club at work? Joining the BHF Health at Work Programme is a great way to ensure a happier and healthier workforce!”

Sign up for free and get all the advice and resources you need to start your own health club at work at:- bhf.org.uk/healthatwork. 

Usdaw backs call for more financial support for carers

THE shopworkers union Usdaw is backing the call for greater financial and community support for the UK's 6 million carers which was made by the Princess Royal Trust for Carers.

Shocking research released by the Trust has revealed that 37% carers do not want to wake up in the morning because of their dire financial circumstances and are calling on the government for greater support.  The research also found that 53% of all carers who work earn less than £10,000 a year, with 60% having to spend all of their savings to support the person they care for. 89% say that they are financially worse off as a result of caring and, consequently, 39% fear they will lose their home.

John Hannett, Usdaw General Secretary said:- "These stark and frankly disturbing findings chime with much of our own campaigning for carers. They again highlight the urgent need for more government support to address the dire financial circumstances many carers find themselves in through absolutely no fault of there own.  Thousands of Usdaw members combine caring responsibilities with paid work yet many continue to suffer severe financial hardship as a result. Under current rules, carers who look after someone for more than 35 hours a week are entitled to a Carers Allowance of £53.90 a week, but if the carer earns a penny over £100 a week, all that Carers Allowance is withdrawn.  This cliff edge creates a massive disincentive to the many working carers who need or want to work more hours or find a better paid job. As a result many working carers end up taking lower paid jobs or keep the hours they work deliberately low to avoid losing their entitlement to carers allowance.  Usdaw is calling for Carers Allowance to be increased to at least £65.45 a week, the same rate as Job Seekers Allowance and for the £100 earnings limit to be increased to £150 a week. We also wants to see Carers Allowance tapered at the same rate as tax credits (39%) which taken with the above would mean that all full-time carers earning up to £300 would be provided with some support. Usdaw understands that there needs to be rules about who qualifies for carers allowance but when you do qualify then those who can and do juggle paid work with their caring commitments should not lose their entire allowance as soon as their earnings go beyond £100."

Prior to the budget in June, Usdaw General Secretary John Hannett wrote to the Chancellor George Osborne and Carers Minister, Paul Burstow, calling for more financial support for carers and setting out the case for changes in the benefit system that would allow working carers to earn more money before losing their entitlement to Carers Allowance.

Usdaw also wrote to all Members of Parliament asking them to support an Early Day Motion 246 (EDM 246) tabled by Rosie Cooper MP, which praised the £87 billion contribution made to the economy by the UK's 6 million carers and backed Usdaw's call for changes in the benefit system. To date, 126 Members of
Parliament have signed the EDM.