episode 13. OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

who do we follow? thelawdsway

So, occupational health: the effect of work on health and that of health on work.

In  celebration of World Day for Safety and Health at Work, coming up on the 28th April 2025, in this post, we’re going to do things a little different. Rather me discussing this topic in my usual structure, I want to portray the message using poetry in the form of a short story. It’s going to focus on the negative consequences in a case of an individual, who we will call Roy, that had forgotten the meaning and importance of occupational health in his line of work, but it wasn’t entirely his fault. I won’t specify the job role because I feel like there doesn’t need to be a specific career role to make the point that I will be trying to make. The purpose of this short story has the potential, in which I hope, to help us all to reflect on our occupational health and see where there needs to be some change to improve it, should that be the case, irrespective of what we work as, where we work, and who we work for.

ROY’S STORY: pt 1

Hi, my name is Roy,

I’m 32 years old and employed,

Been working in my role for the past 10 years now that has brought both tears and joy.

It’s the normal standard working rate as we know,

Monthly payments as a reward for our workflow,

Of the daily 9-5, 8-hour shifts, minus the time travelling to and from home.

I know the terms of the employment policies,

The regulations that are here to protect you and me,

Though I often find myself feeling worn out when work starts to feel not so stress-free.

I’ve done all the training that was required,

The pre-employment training and the ones after I’ve been hired,

But I don’t remember much from the training about how to cope when work makes you feel so tired.

‘What does occupational health mean’ you asked?

Well, to me to state one answer to that question would be hard,

I know the definitions of occupation and health as separate components, but to put them together seems like a difficult task.

However, rather than me to give up on the first try,

Ask me the question again and I will try to find the reasons why,

We put these two words together to make an important term related to the functionality of work life.

So, Roy what does occupational health mean to you?

ROY’S STORY: pt 2

Well, that’s a good question and I plan to jot down just a few,

Key reasons from my perspective about its meaning and why we apply this term within our workplaces as a tool,

To push forward the narrative of prioritising people’s wellbeing and welfare and ensuring we never lose sight of its view.

I want to start this off by explaining its definition,

That’s the first step to creating this recognition,

Of the term occupational health to bring more awareness to our peers in the same, above, or lower working positions.

Occupational health is driven by this notion,

Concerning the physical, mental, emotional, and social wellbeing to gain promotion,

Of how it can be positively enforced for all individuals at a workplace where it is not in motion.

Now I’ve had my fair share of situations that questioned its practicability,

Especially with this one situation that derived from the question of my suitability,

In where I currently work as my employer started to wonder whether my hard work had lost its credibility.

Though to some extent the wonder of my employer was not unjust,

That week I started to have enough,

So, I feel like I have the right to say now that it wasn’t my fault, I had started to lose touch.

In my ability to work under pressure and stick to deadlines,

We must agree on the amount we should do as overtime to draw the line,

As I was spending outside of working hours to get the work done but was only getting paid for my contractual working hours’ time.

Now don’t get me wrong, sometimes there’s nothing wrong with this,

Especially if it happens occasionally and is the best fit-

Ting method to complete a task, either simple or hard, to ensure I stayed meeting my work objectives.

But that one task took a toll on my mental state,

And I just felt I couldn’t or didn't have the right to complain,

About the way I was feeling, not trying to be left behind in my workplace.

Physical strength started to deteriorate,

I guess that’s what happens when your mind starts to play those wicked games,

Of lowering your self-esteem, nothing seems as it used to be and now you dwell in that failed sunken place.

I tried to talk to my manager to confide in them about my stress and fears,

All the issues that were happening within me and the ones that could soon physically appear,

I know the sympathy was there, emotional comfort was shared, but no action was made to show that they genuinely cared.

Whether this was due to a lack of knowledge in how to deal with these types of circumstances,

Or seeking to keep the issue quiet to not have to deal with reporting it,

This had rubbed me the wrong way, questioning if the EDI Policies were truly applied in my workplace, or were they just there to show my workforce took a stand with it?

It took months of back and forth to find a resolution,

Not only to this issue of mine but to whole EDI Policies distribution,

Within this workforce and externally, we can’t keep quiet when EDI issues are happening, so I made sure I became a part of the solution.

ROY’S STORY: pt 3

I came up with new strategies,

In how we could implement EDI Policies effectively,

In a manner that would create change, in how workforces cared for their employers and employees.

Now I know it may seem I have digressed from the main purpose of this story,

But know that sound occupational health cannot be properly enforced without the backing of impactive EDI Policies,

And I wanted to combine these two topics together, as they both relate to my story in one way or another, to portray the message I will now state to finish off this story.

The enforcement of occupational health and EDI- equality, diversity and inclusivity is crucial. Where we identify a lack of engagement within these areas it significantly effects the progression of greater change in the environment that it is being unengaged in. The promotion of enforcing these two terms within our places of work starts with us all having our own individual understanding of what these two terms means. However, I think that having the ability to have a highly advanced knowledge of occupational health on its own will and can create this possibility of bringing more insight to EDI. Both these terms require a community to take a stand by it, not just when you see others doing it because it is popular to do so, but at all times, especially where private problems are happening, and they have yet to get public awareness.

I decided to take a stand because of my own personal circumstances, you may decide to take a stand because you have been a witness of seeing someone else being affected by it, either way stand by it.

Stand by it loud.

Stand by it proud.

The only way we can progress into greater heights as a community is by us having the backing of the same community and others in the locality, nationally and/or internationally to see that there is an issue with the lack of enforcement of the importance of occupational health and EDI, and upon seeing, knowing, experiencing or hearing of that issue, we decide to take a stand against it and stand by the positive implementation of occupational health and EDI.

So, will you take a stand?

**as a disclaimer, please note that this is a work of fiction so any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, is purely coincidental**

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BIBLICAL REFERENCE

3 John 1:2 CSB Dear friend, I pray that you are prospering in every way and are in good health, just as your whole life is going well.

Look after yourself. Pray over yourself and your health. Rebuke all forms of illnesses, sickness and disease over yourself. Pray for healing. Pray for sound health. Pray for others in their times of need and in overcoming any problems they may be facing with their health. HEALTH IS WEALTH. Do not ever compromise your health. Speak up and speak out if something and/or someone is affecting your health. If you are unsure of how to do so, seek God and His guidance to be the narrator as you speak, the author as you write and open up about any concerns regarding your health. Again, do not ever compromise your health for anything AND anyone.

Remember, Trust in the Lord, Love like the Lord and Walk with the Lord. TLW

who do we follow? thelawdsway