b'BACK TO NAVIGATIONPHYSICAL WELLBEING2020 AusLSA Member PerformanceOverall, the commitment to providing support for safe workplaces, health checks, physical fitness and wellbeing initiatives is widespread and includes a variety of different approaches to programs and initiatives. Ninety one percent of firms again reported having a physical health and wellbeing policy or strategy. All but two members had allocated the responsibility to implement their policy to director or manager within the firm including those without a policy in place. Sixty four percent of these firms also involved workplace-based committees (up from fifty-four percent last year) to help build broader participation and ownership in their program implementation. This also suggests a high social nature of these physical health activities. Firms tended to implement initiatives that focused on preventative measures by educating staff, providing health screenings or improving health and fitness to increase resilience. The most common physical wellness initiative, provided by all respondents, was the provision of specific ergonomic equipment, assessments and training.All firms provided flu shots and health checks were provided by seventy two percent of firms. Workplace physical fitness programs including gym memberships, mat style and HIIT classes were also popular, being provided by ninety one percent of firms. Challenges and OpportunitiesWe know that the promotion of positive, healthy lifestyle initiatives are fundamental to reducing chronic health conditions as well as promoting happiness and productivity. The challenge is how to deliver this health support in a COVID environment. The COVID working arrangements across Australia and specifically in Melbourne and Sydney were extensive. They happened without the opportunity to fully understand and mitigate the risks in advance and with limited capacity to immediately revamp firms health and wellbeing programs for staff working from home. It is likely that many employees now face poorer health and wellbeing arising from remote home working environments. The risks of poor ergonomics and poor work habits pose a significant risk of repetitive stress and illnesses caused by inactivity and sitting poorly. Under the current restrictions it is difficult to quickly identify the amount of risk and to supply correct furniture and equipment and to conduct reliable ergonomic assessments. Preventative treatments such as physiotherapy, massage and health and fitness classes have also been more difficult for firms to supply and for employees to access. While the benefits of proactively promoting good health and rapidly addressing ill health of a workforce are undisputed the tools and practices required to do this with a remote workforce and without face to face contact needs to be developed and refined. The first challenge is to identify and better understand the range of working environments and work practices and to connect them to observed and potential health issues. In the short-term firms need to increase their commitment to and leadership of health and wellbeing and increase their vigilance. New programs should include processes that gather information from staff and their managers to assist with the development of a methodology for the setting of objectives and targets and measurement of program impacts.INITIATIVESErgonomicsProactive health checksFlu vaccinationsWork based physical fitnessMassagesFitness and wellnessawareness and promotionDiscount health insuranceFruit boxesMindfulness0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%Perecentage of firmsAverage number of initiatives per firm: 637'