Health Benefits of Good Work (HBGW) Australian Signatories

The Health Benefits of Good Work (HBGW) is an initiative from the Australasian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (AFOEM) of The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP). This initiative is based on compelling Australasian and international evidence that good work is beneficial to people’s health and wellbeing and that long term work absence, work disability and unemployment generally have a negative impact on health and wellbeing. The HBGW Stakeholder Executive Group AFOEM established the HBGW Stakeholder Executive Group in September 2014 to determine the strategic direction for the implementation of the Health Benefits of Good Work into the industry and health sectors to advance AFOEM’s policy in this area. The HBGW Stakeholder Executive Group recommended the establishment of three steering groups to develop and implement coordinated initiatives into both industry and health sectors: the HBGW Signatory Steering Groups (in Australia and in New Zealand) and the HBGW Health Steering Group. The HBGW Australian Signatory Steering Group In January 2015, a Signatory Steering Group (HBGW Australian SSG) was established in Australia. The Australian SSG comprises 20 members from a range of stakeholders including statutory authorities, healthcare organisations, re/insurers, national employers and unions. Members were selected following a competitive Expression of Interest process open to all Australian signatories to the Consensus Statement. The purpose of the HBGW Australian SSG is to further champion the integration of the HBGW policy agenda in the industry sector. It has developed into a forum to share information and collaborate on initiatives that will enable organisations to implement HBOW programs as well as champion improvements throughout the industry.