I’ve just spoken with Magali Barraja, campaign co-ordinator for the Business Action on Health programme from Business in the Community (BITC) about their latest offering to employers called Workwell Peer Learning Programme. It costs £2,500 for non-BITC members and £1,500 for members. Have a look at their website to see what you get. Here are my thoughts:
It’s really targeted at the larger employer (they have signed up 15 to date ahead of the October launch) and Magali confirmed that BITC need to do more to attract the interest of smaller businesses. The thing about larger businesses is that most of them have already developed a fair degree of sophistication around health and wellbeing or already pay for external advice.
It makes me wonder how many will take up the 1:1 employee wellness and engagement advisory service on offer in the package. This service includes a two hour meeting with the BITC campaign team which comprises ‘a programme review with constructive feedback’. For some at the very start of setting their strategy, this might be of use, but my sense is that the membership will mainly comprise large organisations that are more interested in comparing notes with their peer group as the title of the programme suggests.
If you looked at the cost of attending all the workshops and events as separate events then joining the programme seems good value on bulk discount. That’s assuming that you can and want to go to all of them.
There are some good speakers on show, many of them representing organisations that have a vested interest in promoting their own view on health and wellbeing including Bupa, Boots, Northern Foods, Unilever, Nestle – further evidence that it is initially aimed at the larger employer.
On balance, I’d be quite interested in signing up if it was less expensive and I was able to. Unfortunately, consultants are not allowed to apply.