The Lillestrøm Declaration on Workplace Health Promotion
Background:
The Lillestrøm Declaration on Workplaces Health Promotion was drawn up by 400 delegates at the Conference on Workplace Health Promotion on 6 and 7 November 2002.
The parties to the Tripartite Agreement on a More Inclusive Workplace took part in the preliminary work and have also put together the final formulation of the Declaration based on suggestions from and dialogue with the delegates:
Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO)
Confederation of Vocational Unions (YS)
Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO)
National Insurance Service
Ministry of Labour and Government Administration
Ministry of Social Affairs
Norwegian Association of
Local and Regional Authorities (KS)
Federation of Norwegian Commercial and Service Enterprises (HSH)
Federation of Norwegian Professional Associations (Akademikerne)
Norwegian Employers’ Confederation (NAVO)
Confederation of Higher Education Unions (UHO)
The Conference was organised by the National Institute of Occupational Health in collaboration with the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions, the Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry, the Ministry of Labour and Government Administration and the Ministry of Health.
The parties to the Tripartite Agreement on a More Inclusive Workplace have given their support to the Conference as co-organisers.
The Declaration emphasises that health-promoting workplaces are created when the workplace opens up for and meets the needs, resources and potential of the individual and can be developed through participative processes.
The enterprise must be a place of growth for the individual. Corporate culture must be inclusive and open to individuality and diversity. This is also about how we are to achieve a more inclusive workplace which looks after and develops people.
A fundamental element of health-promoting workplaces is systematic workplace health promotion that reduces the risk of illness and accidents.
This Declaration will be a significant basic document for the enterprises in their endeavours to create health-promoting workplaces.1. We are:
· managers and other employees in Norwegian enterprises and representatives of the social partners who will work together in order to create health-promoting workplaces. 2. Our starting point is:
· to start a process which gives meaning to the term “health-promoting workplaces”
· that we wish to mark a change of focus in workplace health promotion whereby more attention is given to the relationship between people and opportunities for development.
· that we regard this as a contribution to building an inclusive workplace and organisational cultures where dialogue, mutual respect and open processes are important elements.
· that we base ourselves on our work environment legislation and our workplace health promotion traditions 3. Our goal is:
· to create workplaces which give everyone the chance to make use of his or her resources and in this way contribute to sustainable economic growth and healthy, viable enterprises. 4. We believe that health-promoting workplaces are characterised by:
· leaders who are present and act as facilitators
· leaders who promote broad-mindedness, tolerance and freedom to think differently· common, visible basic values which create identity and pride
· openness for diversity and our human differences
· everyone being made to feel that they master their jobs and have contributed to the results through feedback from customers and users
· consideration for the whole person based on individual needs and life situations
· physical surroundings which inspire us, make us happy and create arenas where we can be together
· opportunities for personal and professional development and learning at the workplace 5. The first steps towards creating health-promoting workplaces are:
· the management takes responsibility for building up commitment and understanding of the importance of health promotion in the organisation
· each individual thinks through what he or she can do to create health-promoting workplaces
· we help to create a culture with a positive, inclusive atmosphere which allows everyone to be seen and heard and feel that they are important
· the management in collaboration with the employees creates social and professional meeting places and settings with a view to developing a health-promoting culture
· the management in collaboration with the employees paves the way for a culture that uses creativity and humour 6. We want:
· this Declaration to be used by Norwegian enterprises in order to create health-promoting workplaces