Officials from the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Third Sector have embarked on a Workplace Wellness Outreach Bus Tour aimed at raising awareness of the Barbados National Workplace Wellness Policy and encouraging healthier work environments across the island.
The initiative, which forms part of the ministry’s ongoing national campaign, involves representatives visiting businesses to engage employers and employees on the importance of workplace wellness programmes, strengthening safety practices, and promoting responsible behaviours to help prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections.
During the tour, ministry officials meet directly with staff and management to discuss the benefits of structured wellness initiatives and how such programmes can be integrated into everyday workplace operations.
Professor Dwayne Devonish, a specialist in management and organisational behaviour and the architect of the National Workplace Wellness Policy, told Barbados TODAY he remains concerned that many businesses still do not have a formal workplace wellness policy in place.
Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour Faye Prescod explained that the policy is critical, noting that the overall wellbeing of employees can directly affect productivity and organisational performance.
Barbados TODAY caught up with ministry officials during one of the tour stops at Sheraton Mall in Sargeant’s Village, Christ Church, where they met with several businesses to discuss the initiative and encourage the adoption of workplace wellness practices.
The outreach tour is scheduled to make several stops across Christ Church, including Popular Supermarket and Kooyman in Kendal Hill, businesses within the Newton Plantation Yard, Barbados Steel Works, and the Newton Industrial Estate.