A new study carried out in the U.S. has found that firms which have robust health and safety programmes have been proven to generate better returns for investors.
The results of the study, which were published in the latest issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, showed that companies which have received the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) Corporate Health Achievement Award tended to outperform the S&P 500.
The award recognises the companies in North America which have committed to health and safety training and are dedicated to the health, safety and wellbeing of their workers.
HealthNEXT LLC researchers also carried out four investment scenarios and found that those companies that had received the award did better than the market in terms of returns for investors. In the published report on the study, its authors’ state:
“Our results strongly support the view that focusing on health and safety of a workforce is good business,”
“Engaging in a comprehensive effort to promote wellness, reduce the health risks of a work force and mitigate the complications of chronic illness within these populations can produce remarkable impacts on health care costs, productivity and performance.”