Put health at the heart of "good work", say unions

Unions and campaigners have advised the government's new safety minister to focus on making work safe and healthy, not on forcing people back to work when they are sick.

Lord McKenzie - a minister at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) who now has responsibility for health and safety - has asked unions, employers and others to tell him what "good work" means.

"We know that good work is beneficial for individuals, communities, and the economy," he told a conference organised by research body the Work Foundation last month. " But we need to figure out exactly what 'good work' is, so that we can ensure workplaces are happy, healthy and productive. This may necessitate a radical rethink, including addressing outdated work practices, increasing flexible working, cutting red tape and promoting effective and open work cultures."

Last September the DWP published an independent review, Is work good for your health and well-being?, which concluded that "good work" is beneficial for physical and mental health, boosting self-esteem and quality of life.

But Professor Andy Watterson of Stirling University has accused the government of omitting the two factors most clearly associated with "good work" from its strategy. "The first is control over the job, and this means workers having real influence over how the job is designed, from content to work pace, to work organisation, to the working environment," he said. "The second is proper health and safety standards, properly enforced."