“The relationship between work and health is relevant no matter where you work or what you do”
The work I do here at Imperial is all about the relationship between work and health. This is currently high on the policy agenda in the UK as more people are falling out of employment due to long-term ill-health. The healthcare landscape is not a level playing field when it comes to occupational health – access varies depending on the employer, which makes it harder to deliver change.
One of the policy areas I am focusing on is how we can improve the health and working conditions of health and social care workers. The other policy area that interests me is how we make better use of the fit note (commonly known as a sick note…a misnomer!) to help people living with medical conditions to keep working.
The relationship between work and health is always on my mind. There are lots of great examples of healthy working practices at Imperial, and the College Values are a great foundation for this. Workplace relationships and support are key to reducing the risk of work-related stress. I have experienced the benefits of peer and senior support at Imperial firsthand during my own career ups and downs. Talking options through with colleagues in the Department of Primary Care and Public Health has been key in helping me find the right balance between work and life.
The relationship between work and health is relevant no matter where you work or what you do. Imperial is full of people who work innovatively and productively across high-pressure environments while finding ways to keep healthy and have a life outside of work too. I am looking for ways of sharing this ‘soft intelligence’ of how Imperial people make it work within our community and beyond.
While working at Imperial, I started the work and health Substack as a place to share learning. I write 500 words about work and health each week to reach people working across the economy on the latest news, views, research and policy from the world of work and health. And as for my life outside of work… I am outdoors as much as possible!