Arena Housing Group has launched an online health assessment programme for its 775 employees.

The online programme, provided by FirstAssist, was launched in February 2010. Covering work life, home life, emotional and physical wellbeing, the programme complements Arena Housing’s intranet site, HR World, which was launched in October 2009. The site’s monthly pieces on health and wellbeing have included links to the NHS website whereby staff can access mini-tests on diet, alcohol and stress.

In addition, the company’s short-term absence levels, which peaked at an average 10% per month in 2005, are now at an all-time low of 2.4%. The average number of employees on leave due to long-term illnesses has also plummeted from 38 to 12 over the past five years.

Irene Burrows, human resources manager at Arena Housing Group, said: “We have reviewed the absences throughout the entire year of 2009 and are now tailoring our awareness days on the main causes of absence in an effort to provide support for our employees and to reduce our absence levels accordingly.”

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