Teesside University to lead key research in £3.7m workplace health programme

Teesside University is playing a leading role in a major new £3.7 million national research programme aimed at improving workplace health and reducing sickness absence across the UK.

Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the five-year study will investigate the effectiveness of workplace health and wellbeing initiatives that are free to employers, known as WHISPAs. These initiatives are funded by local government or voluntary and community organisations and are particularly important for small and medium-sized organisations (SMEs), which often lack the resources to provide in-house health support.

The collaboration, led by the University of Birmingham, brings together Newcastle University, Teesside University, Imperial College London, the University of Hertfordshire, the University of Exeter, East Sussex County Council and the British Chambers of Commerce.

Understanding how support works in practice.

Co-investigators, Professor Amelia Lake and Dr Claire O’Malley based in the School of Health and Life Sciences at Teesside University, will be involved in carrying out work that focuses on how the programme’s support package is implemented in real-world settings.

This will include in-depth qualitative data from local government teams and workplaces to understand:

• How and why organisations use the support package and its components
• The challenges they face in delivering workplace health initiatives
• The practical strategies they use to overcome barriers

This work will ensure the research goes beyond measuring outcomes to understand what makes workplace health support effective, sustainable and scalable in practice.

Improving health, reducing absence

Poor workplace health is a growing national issue. Mental ill health alone cost UK employers more than £100 billion in 2023, and long-term sickness absence has reached record levels.

The programme will develop and test a structured support package for local authorities, focusing on mental health, musculoskeletal health and lifestyle health. Its impact on sickness absence and quality of life will be evaluated, with the aim of strengthening evidence for what works, particularly in SMEs.

Through implementation research, Teesside University will help ensure that findings reflect the real experiences of local government and workplaces, supporting healthier employees and more resilient organisations nationwide.

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