Over four in 10 (42%) part-time workers do not receive occupational health support compared to 28% of full-time employees that do not receive the services, latest research reveals.
A survey carried out by YouGov on behalf of health and safety firm Croner, found that where occupational health services were provided, they were often not seen as adequate. Less than half (49%) of full-time employees agreed that their employer was proactive in preventing ill health in the workplace, while this proportion dropped to 38% for part-timers.
According to Croner, a number of factors could account for the lower level of provision among part-time employees including a lack of knowledge or commitment to occupational health among employers in sectors that rely more on part-time working.
Croner warned that employers should beware of neglecting their duty of care to protect the health of all employees, including part-time workers.
Furthermore, almost three in 10 part-time workers expect their employer to shoulder most of the responsibility for occupational health, in contrast to less than one in four (23%) of their full-time counterparts.
While awareness of the different types of ill health common in their workplace was similar across both groups, stress was identified as a work-related health issue that had the most new cases per year by more part-time workers (68%) than full-time workers (59%).
"These findings on occupational health provision raise several concerns," Croner safety technical consultant Stephen Thomas said.
"Employers have a duty of care to ensure, to a reasonable extent, the health and safety of all their employees, whether they are full- or part-time. And that is true for preventing ill health in the workplace as much as for preventing accidents."
He added: "Furthermore, it would seem that a large number of workers are not satisfied with the occupational health services their employer provides. Croner urges employers to consider whether their workforce would benefit from more diverse services by consulting with their workers. And occupational health is a business benefit too. Investing in useful, proactive health surveillance, monitoring and support can not only help individuals but also prevent lost working time and productivity."
