Small Business Awards Criteria
If you are a small or micro organisation (a workplace with 2 to 49 employees), the following awards are available to you: Commitment (optional), Bronze, Silver and Gold.
For Bronze Award, 10 criteria must be achieved, with 5 already defined and 5 of your choice from a pool of criteria. This award is focused on promoting and encouraging positive health behaviours through providing information, starting the conversation and signposting to support services available. At this level, you would have built the foundations for a healthy workplace with minimal financial investment.
For Silver Award, Bronze Award must have already been completed. 10 criteria must be achieved, with 5 already defined and 5 of your choice from a pool of criteria. This award is focused on enabling positive health behaviours and wellbeing by starting to take action and bringing about organisational change. At this level, you would have developed health and wellbeing in your workplace.
For Gold Award, Silver Award must have already been completed. 10 criteria must be achieved, with 5 already defined and 5 of your choice from a pool of criteria. This award is focused on fostering positive health behaviours, and positive workplace culture is part of the organisations values. At this level, health and wellbeing is embedded in your organisation.
List of Criteria
Each of the programme criteria are listed in the table below within their topic areas, and they can be identified by their unique ‘criteria number’. You can also access the full criteria for the Small Business Awards in the Criteria Handbook, which includes ideas and useful resources to help you implement each criteria, and examples of evidence you may want to provide.
Physical Activity & Active Travel (PA)
SB.PA.1
Raise awareness of the benefits of physical activity and active travel among employees, encourage staff to be physically active and signpost employees to support available.
SB.PA.2
Offer and promote initiatives that support alternative work travel arrangements, such as tax efficient cycle purchase schemes, public transport discount initiatives and/or season ticket loan schemes.
SB.PA.3
Allow staff to wear footwear and clothing to work that is comfortable and enables activity, where is operationally appropriate.
SB.PA.4
Encourage staff to take part in team activity sessions, or physically active team challenges, that are inclusive to the whole workforce.
Healthy Eating (HE)
SB.HE.1
Provide adequate space for safe food storage, as well as clean, appropriate food preparation areas and facilities to heat food in the workplace.
SB.HE.2
Raise awareness of the benefits of healthy eating and hydration among employees, and signpost employees to support available.
SB.HE.3
Encourage employees adopt healthy eating practices.
Mental Health & Wellbeing (MH)
SB.MH.B1
(Mandatory for Bronze)
Promote mental health services to employees that can support them with their mental wellbeing, including financial wellbeing initiatives, support or services.
SB.MH.S1
(Mandatory for Silver)
Produce a mental health action plan and share with employees, considering the following topics: breaking down stigma, stress management, sleep and suicide prevention.
SB.MH.G1
(Mandatory for Gold)
Have a flexible working statement or policy that allows employees a degree of autonomy and control over how work is completed and work schedules, where operationally viable.
SB.MH.1
Provide mental health awareness training to key members of staff.
SB.MH.2
Signpost employees with mental health challenges or conditions to support services.
SB.MH.3
Provide suicide prevention training to key members of staff.
SB.MH.4
Encourage and support social activities and/or volunteering.
Alcohol, Smoking & Substance Misuse (AS)
SB.AS.1
Raise awareness of the benefits of stopping smoking and/or reducing alcohol consumption. As well as the impacts of alcohol, smoking and/or substance misuse on health and wellbeing. Signpost to support available.
SB.AS.2
Produce and promote a smoking statement or policy, after consulting employees, with a clear rules on smoking in the workplace, signposting to support services and the health risks of smoking.
SB.AS.3
(Double Weighted)
Create a smoke free site, including all open and outdoor spaces/grounds, that are clearly signposted as smoke free and steps are taken to ensure smoking does not happen on the organisation’s premises.
Sickness Absence, Return to Work & Prevention (SA)
SB.SA.B1
(Mandatory for Bronze)
Produce a statement or policy on sickness absence, which includes clear and accessible procedures for reporting and managing sickness absence, and return to work. Share the statement or policy with staff.
SB.SA.S1
(Mandatory for Silver)
Have processes in place for team leaders to agree regular contact with employees who are on sickness absence or maternity leave; and for team leaders to discuss return to work requirements with employees who are returning to work after a period of sickness absence or maternity leave.
SB.SA.1
Encourage eligible employees to access screening and other health services by sharing information and signposting.
SB.SA.2
Encourage employees whose sickness absence is expected to continue beyond 4 weeks to discuss with their GP or secondary care specialist any options for referral to support services such as physiotherapy, counselling or occupational therapy. If you have an Employee Assistance Programme and/or Occupational Health Service, you may encourage employees to access these instead.
SB.SA.3
Allow all staff the flexibility to attend screening and other healthcare appointments during the working day.
Leadership, Management & Workplace Culture (LM)
SB.LM.B1
(Mandatory for Bronze)
Conduct an annual staff health and wellbeing assessment, and promote one health campaigns or activities based on the assessment results. Share the results with employees, with actions to be taken to improve any highlighted issues.
SB.LM.S1
(Mandatory for Silver)
Ensure key members of staff are equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to support employees in their roles, and understand that facilitating employee health and wellbeing is also a central part of their role.
SB.LM.S2
(Mandatory for Silver)
Conduct an annual staff health and wellbeing assessment, and promote one health campaigns or activities based on the assessment results. Share the results with employees, with actions to be taken to improve any highlighted issues.
SB.LM.G1
(Mandatory for Gold)
Conduct an annual staff health and wellbeing assessment, and promote two health campaigns or activities based on the assessment results. Share the results with employees, with actions to be taken to improve any highlighted issues.
SB.LM.G2
(Mandatory for Gold)
Produce statements or policies on bullying, harassment, whistleblowing and equality and diversity. Include procedures to ensure unfair treatment of employees is addressed impartially and as a matter of priority.
SB.LM.G3
(Mandatory for Gold)
Encourage employees to take regular breaks away from their work, and foster a culture where this is deemed acceptable.
SB.LM.1
Recognise, promote and support employees with aspects of healthy ageing.
SB.LM.2
Raise awareness in the workplace of the environmental agenda.
SB.LM.3
Agree a communication channel with staff where organisational updates, messages and changes are shared. Ensure there is a function to include employees in senior decision making.
SB.LM.4
Ensure health and wellbeing statements or policies are included in any induction, training and development programmes for new employees.
SB.LM.5
Offer all employees the same opportunities with support, training, CPD, progression, secondment or personal development.
Musculoskeletal Health & Health & Safety (MSK)
SB.MSK.B1
(Mandatory for Bronze)
Raise awareness of MSK pain and disorders, providing information on prevention and pain management to all staff (including signposting to support services and resources available).
SB.MSK.B2
(Mandatory for Bronze)
Nominate a designated party or employee responsible for health and safety, that ensures the organisation is up to date with current legislation.
SB.MSK.S1
(Mandatory for Silver)
Produce a risk assessment for MSK conditions for your workplace.
SB.MSK.G1
(Mandatory for Gold)
Ensure the organisation has procedures in place for reporting and recording MSK symptoms, as well as for making reasonable adjustments for individuals where an issue is raised. Share with staff.