Guest blog by Dr Lara Shemtob
Occupational health is an evidence-based based service to improve workplace health. Gym discounts, health insurance, counselling services, offsite retreats, and yoga is often seen to be “workplace wellbeing”, but they are not equal when it comes to impact. Employees and managers often misunderstand the role of Occupational Health. So, to set the record straight, here are some examples of what occupational health is, and what it is not.
.red { color: #c00000 !important; padding: 10px; } .green { color: #275317 !important; padding: 10px; } Occupational Health Is: Occupational Health Is Not: Clinician-led and evidence-based. Occupational health provides professional medical guidance and workplace strategies grounded in an academic evidence base. Driven by trends. While a spa day or massage may feel good at the time, these are not evidence-based interventions that shift the needle on workforce health or productivity. A service that supports both individuals and organisations. Occupational health helps manage work and health at the individual level, while shaping policy and strategy at the organisational level. The same as HR. Occupational health works alongside HR, but remains independent, with clinical governance, and employee confidentiality at its core. Preventative as well as reactive. Occupational health is there to prevent health-related issues escalating, not just to step in when workplace health situations reach breaking point. Just a service to call in when HR has a "sticky" situation. Occupational health is most effective when organisations use it proactively, not as a last resort. Engaged with real issues. Occupational health helps tackle the most common and pressing problems in today’s workplace, such as work-related stress. Limited to rare industrial diseases. Mental ill health at work is by far the most common presentation to occupational health. The evidence-based lens on your health and wellbeing investment. Occupational health helps identify which interventions truly improve productivity and workforce wellbeing, and which do not. A vague wellbeing initiative.Occupational health is specific, evidence-driven, and practical. It deals with the gritty realities of work and health, not superficial platitudes. Delivered by real people, supported by smart technology. Occupational health is about the human side and is grounded in communication and compassion, augmented, not replaced, by digital tools. A set of algorithms or AI avatars.Occupational health is built on human expertise, with technology used to enhance, not replace, clinical skill and judgement. Diverse in background and perspective. Occupational health professionals include doctors, nurses, technicians, allied health professionals, hygienists, subject specific experts and more. A homogenous group of boring professionals.The speciality is full of entrepreneurs, and a diverse skill mix makes for efficient and innovative service delivery models. Evolving with the workplace. Occupational health is evolving to meet new challenges at the human- technology interface, from optimising hybrid working to managing AI agents. Archaic or narrow in focus. Occupational health is more than asbestos or lung function tests. It is an agile and future-focused speciality where commercial positioning helps drive innovation. Expert leadership for case coordination. Occupational health provides the clinical governance and leadership needed to ensure quality and impact. Rigid in approach. Occupational health is a trailblazer specialty - leveraging the skills of multidisciplinary colleagues to scale and improve outcomes.