Wellness in the workplace

Did you know that the position of your keyboard, the height of your office chair and even the angle at which your computer monitor tilts, can have an impact on your health? In fact, both employers and employees are probably not aware that occupational hazards are quite common in the workplace.

With the office increasingly becoming the second home to most people, it is important to know that occupational health hazards can affect an employee’s health and wellness, says Dr. Nicky Montoya, president of MEDICard Philippines, Inc (MPI), one of the pioneers in the health maintenance industry in the Philippines. Poor workplace management can result in work-related illnesses and high levels of absence due to sickness. This is alarming, not just because of the costs involved, but also on how it impacts service delivery.

Moreover, the Department of Labor and Employment, through the Occupational Safety and Health Standards, aims to protect every worker from injury, sickness or death through safe and healthful working conditions. This in turn ensures manpower resources are conserved and loss or damage to lives and properties are prevented.

Wellness in the workplace is one of the areas of concentration by MPI. In fact, it has been the first to offer occupational health and clinic management services, to help employers provide a healthier workplace for its workers and employees. “We saw that a lot of medical and health problems can be prevented just by identifying possible hazards in the workplace. So through our services we monitor the workplace environment and ensure it is a healthy place to work,” says Dr. Montoya.

This means that factors like ventilation, room temperature, lighting, chair and table ergonomics and even the positioning of one’s computer are constantly checked to ensure that workers remain healthy and productive.

In addition, Dr. Montoya says that government mandated policies on infectious diseases, family planning and disaster management are being implemented by their occupational health doctors in their client companies.

“We also try to set up a safety committee in case there are emergencies within the office like SARS and bird flu. We issue advisories on how to handle these diseases and how to take care of people affected by the illnesses,” says Dr. Montoya.

Complementing MPI’s occupational health and clinic management services is its soon-to-be-launched MEDICard Lifestyle Center. A first-of-its-kind, the MEDICard Lifestyle Center is designed to offer effective solutions for wellness and lifestyle diseases.Indeed, it is possible for the office to be a haven for health and wellness. With MEDICard Philippines, Inc. employers are assured of having happy, healthy and productive workers. –Malaya