The objective of the project entitled "A model for measures aimed at reducing the risk factors for chronic non-communicable diseases within the workplace health promotion programme" is to maintain and enhance employee physical and mental health, improve employee lifestyle and reduce employee risk taking, raise health awareness of employees, employers and the general public and disseminate good practice for management of health-related absenteeism, presenteeism and turnover.

Project objectives

• Set up a project consortium of companies/employers;
• Prevent the development of chronic non-communicable diseases and improve health status of employees affected by a chronic non-communicable disease.
• Reduce absenteeism of employees and the costs of employers and the Insurance Institute of the Republic of Slovenia (ZZZS) for compensations for temporary absence from work.
• Improve employee productivity and increase economic competitiveness and healthcare budget sustainability.
• Better management of risks associated with chronic non-communicable diseases at workplace.
• Raise healthy lifestyle awareness among the employees.
• Increase motivation and encourage employees to make lifestyle changes.
• Encourage employees to assume the risks for their own health.
• Raise awareness among the employees on importance of measures to control chronic non-communicable diseases and encourage them to take more targeted actions to improve the employee lifestyle.
• Raise awareness among policy and decision makers as well as other professionals on importance of treatment of chronic non-communicable diseases at workplace.
• Raise healthy lifestyle awareness among the general public.
• Promote health counselling programmes at health centres.

Project activities
The main activities carried out at four pilot companies include:

• Initial assessment of employee health status;
• Implementation of measures to reduce risk factors for chronic non-communicable diseases (a lifestyle change workshop for employees, coaching for health and wellbeing, online and mobile application, referral to the counselling for health programme within the framework of the national cardiovascular disease primary prevention programme, information brochures for employees);
• Final assessment of employee health status;
• Analysis of needs, barriers and interests of employers and employees in workplace health promotion (a focus group with employees and employers);
• A seminar for employers;
• Publication of articles in the press and on the internet to disseminate the results, preparation of a professional publication and organisation of a press conference and the final project conference.

More about the project: zdravo-zivim.com

The project entitled "A model for measures aimed at reducing the risk factors for chronic non-communicable diseases within the workplace health promotion programme" has been funded by the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia on the basis of the invitation to tender for co-financing the workplace health promotion projects in 2013 and 2014.