"Employers, workplaces play important role in beating diabetes: Amy Khor", 26 November 2018

If the authorities want to win the war on diabetes, they must target the public in...community and workplaces, Senior Minister of State for Health Amy Khor said....

..."Be it by preference or due to circumstances, employees may compromise on their health by consuming fast foods or sleeping late at night. For those who work in the office, they could remain sedentary for long periods of time."

By keeping their staff healthy, employers will benefit from a more productive workforce, she added.

The cost of lost productivity due to ill health is more than 10 times the cost of its prevention, according to a study cited by Dr Khor, who added that other benefits include higher staff retention rates and lower absenteeism.

...[T]he Tripartite Oversight Committee (TOC) on Workplace Safety and Health...needs to adopt four strategies, she said.

Firstly, the approach must be customised and targeted....

Secondly, the TOC must work with key stakeholders....Third, the partners should be empowered to manage their health programmes independently. Lastly, robust and systematic evaluation should be in place....

...Programmes include workshops, exercise programmes and health coaching sessions during lunch hours or after work.