Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), with less than 250 employees, make up the majority of Scottish workplaces. Within the private sector 99 per cent of organisations are SMEs and this accounts for 56.8 per cent of total Scottish employment. 

Absence from work cost British business £10.2 billion in 1998, an average cost of £426 per worker, according to the latest CBI/BUPA survey. 'Focus on Absence' estimates that 200 million days were lost through sickness absence, an average of 8.5 days per employee.

While larger organisations may be in a stronger position to weather the short-term effects of this loss, SMEs may find coping with such human resource deficits results in the need for some severe crisis management. For a small business, losing just one key member of staff can mean the difference between winning valuable contracts or completing orders on schedule to losing business-saving contracts and incurring penalties for delays.  

It is therefore essential that all employees are at their healthiest when at work, to ensure that a quality service and company's reputation is maintained at all times. This is why Scotland's Health at Work (SHAW) award scheme has developed a toolkit especially to help SMEs. Highlands and Islands Enterprise were one of the original sponsors of the award scheme, and are also registered as an employer in their own right.

It is the legal responsibility of all employers to look after the health and welfare of their employees. SHAW can help you do this by taking a staged approach to promoting health in your workplace.  The 'Scotland's Health at Work SME toolkit' has been especially designed with SME needs in mind, and is targeted at organisations with 50 employees or fewer. The toolkit, produced by SHAW in conjunction with Federation of Small Businesses and the Health and Safety Executive, will be launched in Inverness on 5th June 2002. It provides guidance on a range of issues including health and safety, policy development and health promoting practice.

There are ten SMEs currently registered with SHAW in the Highlands. Some of these will be represented and will give their views on the benefits they’ve so far achieved at the special launch event at 4 pm – 4.30 pm on 5th June at the Highland Spotlight 2002 business exhibition at Inverness Sports Centre.

For more information on the SHAW / SME toolkit, or to book your place at the launch event, please call Rhona MacLeod on 01463 - 704928 or email: rhona.macleod@hhb.scot.nhs.uk