Work

Reviewed 19/02/2025

Background

Being in good work is better for your health than being out of work. ‘Good work’ means having not only a work environment that is safe, but also having a sense of security, autonomy, good line management and communication within an organisation. It also protects against social exclusion by providing income, social interaction, a core role, identity and purpose.

Unemployment is bad for your health as it is associated with an increased risk of mortality and morbidity (death and illness). A bad working environment, characterised by low levels of job control and organisational fairness, and a high effort-reward imbalance, may contribute to poor health. Just as unemployment can be a risk factor for various health conditions, long-term health conditions such as back pain can also be the cause of unemployment.

Working adults spend a large proportion of their time in work. As well as the direct impact of work, workplaces are also a setting which can potentially support health promoting behaviours.

Bolton consistently has a lower proportion of adults aged 16-64 in employment than see in the north-west or Great Britian as a whole. See Bolton's Labour market profile for the latest figures.

From an employer point of view, healthy staff are more productive, take less time off sick, and do not necessarily need to retire early. An unhealthy workforce negatively impacts our economy and society due to lost productivity; a reduction in income tax receipts; increseases in long-term sickness; increased informal caregiving; increased healthcare costs.

There are regional inequalities in population qualification levels. A smaller proportion of the northern workforce has a degree and a larger proportion has no qualifications. In some areas this results in a vicious circle of low skills and low productivity where lower skilled, lower paid work is disproportionately concentrated, reinforcing existing inequalities.

Health of uk employees

 

The Bolton picture

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