NCB focuses on staff wellness
published: Wednesday | December 3, 2003

By Ayanna Kirton, Staff Reporter

IN KEEPING with their goal of becoming the "employer of first choice", the National Commercial Bank (NCB) officially launched its wellness programme yesterday, World AIDS Day, at the bank's headquarters on Trafalgar Road in St. Andrew.

Rickert Allen, NCB's general manger of training and human resources, said the wellness programme was also in recognition of the Government's mandate to develop and implement wellness policies to guide the national policy on HIV/AIDS and other dangerous diseases.

According to Allen, the Wellness Programme would address the preventative and rehabilitative health of employees while maintaining confidentiality. Allen said NCB would accommodate employees affected by life-threatening diseases, such as AIDS, but would also remain mindful of the company's obligation to provide a safe environment for all employees.

MEDICAL DIRECTION

"We will seek appropriate medical direction to ensure that where accommodation is given it does not pose a substantial risk to the individual and other employees," he said. "If the situation poses a health risk to others or if the affected individual is no longer able to perform their duties then separation will become necessary," said Allen.

Minister of Health, Hon. John Junor, said NCB's implementation of a corporate wellness programme was important in the Jamaican context because of the serious health challenges such as HIV/AIDS facing the nation, particularly among persons between 15 and 44- years-old, the most productive age group, he said.

Mr. Junor encouraged NCB to continue to ensure that employees infected with HIV/AIDS were not discriminated against. "Showing scorn to someone with HIV serves only negative purposes and (helps to) drive the disease underground (because) of a fear of seeking medical care and sharing information with family," he said.

CASES

He said 34 per cent of HIV/AIDS cases in Jamaica were among people 30-39 years old and 20 per cent of reported cases were found in 20-29 year olds. The Minister also said that from January to June, 2003, Kingston and St. Andrew recorded the highest number of cases of HIV/AIDS in Jamaica.

The Minister of Health also said that the economic costs associated with the increasing health challenges posed by other chronic lifestyle illnesses such as hypertension, heart disease, obesity and cancer was reflected in lower productivity worldwide. He noted that NCB's corporate wellness programme would help employees to change their behaviour, choosing healthier lifestyles which would in turn lead to lower medical costs, reduced absenteeism, improved employee relations, and a better corporate image in general.