Workplace wellbeing and what it means for football clubs

Workplace wellbeing and what it means for football clubs

As April 28 is the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, we looked at the role workplace wellbeing plays in a football club and what EFDN club members have accomplished to provide a safe and healthy working environment for their staff.

What is the World Day for Safety and Health at Work?

The World Day for Safety and Health at Work is an annual international campaign to promote safe, healthy and decent work. It is held on 28 April and has been observed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) since 2003.

This year, the World Day for Safety and Health at Work and the World Day Against Child Labour are coming together in a joint campaign to improve the safety and health of young workers and end child labour. The campaign aims to accelerate action to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 8.8 of safe and secure working environments for all workers by 2030 and SDG target 8.7 of ending all forms of child labour by 2025.

Football clubs can have a positive impact on promoting safe working environment and improving the wellbeing of the club’s staffs to the local community by leading examples with unique actions and strong commitments to safe work for everyone. We looked at how various EFDN club members have been doing so with great success.

Everton FC

Credit: Everton in the Community

Everton and Everton in the Community have been one of the front-runners regarding workplace wellbeing. In 2013, the club was officially certified as the healthiest football club to work for in the UK by Health at Work’s Workplace Wellbeing Charter. This meant the Blues became the first football club in the country to have been awarded the status to recognise its commitment to employees’ health and wellbeing. The charter, which is valid for two years, has accredited the Club with a status of ‘excellence’, which means that not only is health information easily accessible and well publicised, the leadership of the organisation fully engage in wellbeing and employees have a range of intervention programmes and support mechanisms available to help them prevent ill-health, and encourage a fit and healthy lifestyle.

Later in 2015, Everton took a step further and partnered with Edge Hill University to undertake a unique research project with the club on improving the health and wellbeing of Everton’s workforce. The study, which is the first of its kind to be conducted by a professional football club, asks staff to complete a survey on a range of topics including their sleep patterns, exercise regimes and diet. The findings will be used to develop an improved wellbeing programme that is tailored to the needs of employees and ultimately aims to enhance health at work and quality of life.

Chelsea FC

Credit: Hammersmith & Fulham Council

Another EFDN member that got recognised for its commitment to employee’s health and wellbeing is Chelsea. In 2017, Chelsea became the first football club to be recognised for its dedication to its employees by the London Healthy Workplace Charter. The charter, backed by the Mayor of London, helps employers address issues such as sickness absence, productivity, recruitment and staff retention. It offers businesses a framework for reviewing and developing management practices and practical considerations across a wide range of areas, including mental health and wellbeing, smoking, alcohol, physical activity and healthy eating. The accreditation scheme is also a great way for businesses to show that employee health and wellbeing really matters to them. The club was awarded ‘Achievement’ accreditation for its work to improve employee wellbeing, after being the first football club in the UK to become a Living Wage employer in December 2014.

Tottenham Hotspur FC

Tottenham has focused on mental health and wellbeing of both the club’s staff and the local community. The club has been working with seAp, an independent charity that specialises in the provision of advocacy and related services, to train a number of employees in advocacy qualifications. The Tottenham Hotspur Foundation also has programmes that support vulnerable people in the community who might suffer from mental illness by providing and supporting a healthy lifestyle that could help them regain confidence, re-engage and gain new employment skills such as the over 50’s REIGNITE programme.