Community outreach initiatives can have major benefits for organisations, especially when it comes to workplace health.
These include happier employees, team building opportunities and professional development, as well as showing you're an employer of choice and raising your profile in the community.1,2
Community connections is one of the four dimensions in our Healthy Workplaces Framework because we know this is one of the keys to a truly healthy workplace.
Our framework is based on the World Health Organization model, which acknowledges that organisations are communities themselves, and that every workplace exists as part of a wider community.3,4
The Healthy Workplaces top three tips for connecting to your community:
Connect with a challenge
Get your whole workplace involved in the Achievement Program with a workplace challenge like Premier’s Active April or Dry July. Once you’ve got the conversation started you could use your challenge as a jumping off point to achieve one of our health priority areas.
Connect with an event
A good event can get your workplace talking about health and wellbeing. You could tie it in to an awareness day or week, such as Mental Health Month in October, NAIDOC week in July, or World No Tobacco Day on the 31st of May and invite guest speakers or local community organisations to contribute.
Connect with volunteering
A good volunteering program can make your workplace healthier. Health benefits associated with volunteering, include better sleep, a feeling of wellbeing and a sense of self-worth. Employees in organisations who are supported to volunteer are more likely to stay at a company5 and consumers are more likely to buy products from companies that support local charities.6 Check out Volunteering Victoria for volunteer opportunities in your area.
[1] https://npengage.com/social-good/how-corporate-volunteering-programs-benefit-everyone/
[2] https://probonoaustralia.com.au/news/2018/01/australians-express-strong-support-csr/
[3] WHO 5 Keys to Healthy Workplaces
[4] G Macassa et al ‘Corporate Social Responsibility and Population Health’ Health Science Journal October 2017
[5] https://npengage.com/social-good/how-corporate-volunteering-programs-benefit-everyone/
[6] https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/consumers-favour-companies-support-charities-says-study/fundraising/article/1183955