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Use the Australian Drug Foundation’s Good Hosts program to help reduce the potential for problems caused by alcohol consumption at work events. The program supports organisations to manage their functions and events safely and inclusively.
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Share your ideas and experiences in workplace health and wellbeing with your fellow WorkHealth News readers! Send us an email to have your contribution published in a future edition.
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Plain packaging one step closer
There’s been a lot happening in the debate around plain packaging for cigarette packets legislation, including its passing through the House of Representatives.
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Get a free WorkHealth check at one of our many public events, such as the Moto Grand Prix or the Melbourne Show! See our events calendar.
Here are some other upcoming events you could promote at work:
Get your colleagues together and walk to work, organise a walking meeting, or join in with one of the many walks taking place in Victoria.
September 29
Use this important event to promote cardiovascular health in your workplace.
October 14
Join the thousands of workers who build exercise into their commute by riding to work.
October 16
Get your colleagues together for this great team-building event around beautiful Port Phillip Bay.
October 17-21
Victoria’s largest safety event will deliver a range of seminars and workshops to keep workplaces safe and healthy.
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As a small business owner, I think it’s really important that we look after our health and we know what’s going on inside. My small team are crucial to my business success, so I'm happy to support their health.
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Jonathan Chang, Director, Silverpond
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Welcome
 Welcome back to WorkHealth News!
The campaign shows what can happen if your workplace doesn’t sign up for WorkHealth checks and your workers are left unaware of potentially serious health risks. It’s a reminder just how important it is to stay on top of your health.
And there’s no better time than right now to organise WorkHealth checks, or get them back for those workers that missed out the first time. Read on for news about some changes taking place that will make it even easier for businesses to participate in WorkHealth.
I hope you enjoy this issue of WorkHealth News.
Rachel Gualano
WorkHealth Director
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Easier than ever to do WorkHealth checks
 WorkHealth is currently implementing some changes to make it even easier for workplaces to offer WorkHealth checks to their workers.
The changes come into effect from 1 November 2011, so if your organisation is undertaking WorkHealth checks before this date, things will run as normal.
However, if you’re yet to schedule your WorkHealth checks, are part-way through delivering them or you’re considering another round of checks for those workers who missed out the first time, here’s how the changes may affect you:
- From 1 November, WorkSafe will pay your service provider directly for your WorkHealth checks. This means the checks are completely free and there’s less paperwork for you.
- Our network of service providers will be dedicated to delivering WorkHealth checks in specific geographical areas. This means convenient access to a provider who will service all of your worksites, no matter how big or small. It also means that your current provider may change.
There’s nothing you need to do at this stage - we’ll notify you soon if you need a new provider. Feel free to call our Employer Relations team on 9940 4780 if you have any questions.
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Avoid the spread of infectious disease
 There’s a lot of focus on the impact of sick leave on businesses, but what about the damage that presenteeism (when workers come to work unwell) can do to the bottom line?
In fact, one study found that presenteeism is actually more costly to a business than absenteeism.*
Infectious diseases, like cold and flu, can spread like wildfire through a work environment, particularly in contained areas like offices. Yet there’s a lot that workplaces can do to help stop the spread of infectious diseases – here are a few tips to get you started:
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Case studies
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Olivia's WorkHealth Coach gets her back on track
 Did you know that you and your workers can access a free support program to help act on the lifestyle advice you received in your WorkHealth check?
WorkHealth Coach is a free, confidential telephone support program, where a trained health coach contacts you to help you to set goals towards better health and achieve them.
Just look at Olivia. Twelve weeks into receiving support from her WorkHealth Coach, and she's feeling healthier, more energetic and dealing with stress much better.
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Five minutes with... Orbost Regional Health
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 Five minutes with... shares insights and experiences from different workplace health and wellbeing programs. Here we caught up with Brendan Coulton, Deputy CEO at Orbost Regional Health, to find out what his team are up to.
1. Tell us about your program, Orbost Regional Healthy.
Orbost Regional Healthy is all about supporting the health and wellbeing of our staff.
We have a range of activities on offer, to provide access for everyone. They include providing free soup during winter to increase daily intake of vegetables, a lunchtime ‘walking bus’, traffic light food system in the cafeteria, distributing health information, free quit smoking programs, cordless headsets, ‘toilet talk’ health reminders in bathrooms, gym access, and an external employee assistance program.
Some of these activities were selected as a direct response to the WorkHealth checks we organised through WorkSafe.
2. What is one thing that has worked particularly well?
The soup and traffic light system programs have been particularly successful in helping staff be more aware of their vegetable intake, and the health benefits of different types of food.
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It’s not too late to sign up your work teams for Ride to Work Day and Bupa Around the Bay! Participating in these great events can help encourage your workers to start incorporating riding into their daily commute.
Work Safe Week is fast approaching, and the WorkHealth team will be on board again this year hosting a range of seminars to give workplaces a helping hand with their health and wellbeing programs. 
The Department of Health’s Better Health Channel has launched a free iPhone and iPad app to help Victorians take 
