Top Law Firm Scoops Health At Work Award

Harper Macleod LLP is the first law firm in Scotland to pick up an award for its efforts to boost health and wellbeing in the workplace.

Harper Macleod LLP, one of Scotland's leading commercial law firms, is among the first 32 organisations which have achieved the new Healthy Working Lives Award launched last year by the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives. 

The Award was launched to encourage employers to promote a healthier workforce.  It focuses on health promotion, occupational health and safety, employability, mental health and well-being, community involvement, and health and the environment. 

Harper Macleod staff picked up a Bronze Award at a ceremony in Edinburgh for its efforts to improve the health and wellbeing of its 230 employees in its Glasgow, Edinburgh and Inverness offices.  

The range of initiatives adopted by Harper Macleod include:

• Free fruit for staff - this has helped raise awareness of healthy eating, as have lunchtime seminars with a qualified nutritionist
• Smoking cessation support - smokers have been helped to quit through regular group support sessions
• Occupational health - addressed through campaigns such as a "better backs" promotion
• Exercise promotion - all 230 employees have also been encouraged to exercise through company-wide initiatives such as 10K races in aid of charity

Congratulating Harper Macleod on the achievement of the Award, Andrew Cubie, Chair of the Healthy Working Lives National Advisory Group, said: "Management and staff at all the organisations which have achieved an Award must be congratulated on their efforts to improve their health and wellbeing.  

"I am confident that workplaces will continue to play an important role in improving our nation's health and quality of life. The new Award builds on the successes achieved so far while at the same time addressing new challenges." 

Rona McPherson, HR Director at Harper Macleod LLP, said: "As a young, dynamic legal firm, it makes good business sense for Harper Macleod to be committed to the growth, development and wellbeing of our employees, inside and outside of the workplace.   

"Through the introduction of a focused programme like HWL and our own collective efforts as a firm, we help our people in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness take greater responsibility for their own health and wellbeing." 

Martin Darroch, Harper Macleod's Chief Executive, added, "The HWL programme aligns well with our firm's corporate social responsibility strategy.  The HWL Bronze Award is further external recognition of our efforts in this field and builds on the CSR Initiative of the Year Award we received at last year's Scottish Legal Awards." 

Organisations need to meet core criteria through a rigorous assessment process to achieve the three levels of award - Bronze, Silver and Gold.  However the award is designed to be flexible so employers can select the most relevant topics relevant to their own workforce. 

The Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives was established as part of NHS Health Scotland in April 2005 and will play a key role in helping to reduce work-related ill health by 20 per cent and days lost to ill health by 30 per cent. 

The Centre's 80 advisers are on hand to support companies achieve the HWL Award which can include elements, such as smoking cessation, healthy eating, physical activity and mental health promotion, as well as increasing the importance of health and safety. 

The Award has been developed in consultation with businesses and health professionals across Scotland.  It is supported by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Scotland, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), the Scottish Government, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), NHS Scotland, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), Jobcentre Plus, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).