COUGHS, colds, or plain old Monday blues?

We are all too familiar with the ongoing struggle of unforeseeable events in our day-to-day businesses - staff sickness being up there at the top of the list.

A happy workforce is a healthy workforce and the greater role we play in ensuring our employees are happy and healthy, the more productive our businesses will be.

This is not just a matter for the big industry players - such as our region's steel manufacturers, ports and chemical industries - but for small and medium-sized companies too.

The smoking ban in public places has meant employers have invested time and money in ensuring workers are educated in the protocols of their working environment.

But it isn't just a case of instigating rules as they come into the public domain.

We should, in fact, always work to a health and safety first philosophy and incorporate this into our company core values.

Keeping employees regularly up to date with health and safety matters through the likes of notice board displays and leaflets is a simple and cost-effective way to communicate and educate on issues of all natures, some of which workers would otherwise feel uncomfortable talking to someone about.

Issues such as cancer, drug abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, repetitive strain injury, depression and stress are all topical concerns and are matters which will affect the overall performance of our work places.

By educating our employees this way, we may even help to prevent illness in the workplace, as workers will be better equipped to identify tell-tale signs or feel more relaxed about talking to a peer or colleague about their concerns.

A large proportion of our lives is spent at work - some would argue that more time is spent with work colleagues than family.

It is, therefore, a matter of duty for all companies, large or small, to look out for those who make our businesses what they are and to take care of our most important asset - our people.

* Martyn Pellew is chairman of the North East Chamber of Commerce Tees Valley