About the Award

Award Criteria

There are 6 levels to the Award – Foundation, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Continuing Excellence and Maintaining Excellence, with appropriate criteria at each stage to build into an Award Portfolio. Organisations are given up to a year per level, but there is flexibility for those who need it.

Evidence indicates that it takes a period of time to effectively establish the infrastructure that will engage employees in adopting behaviours / lifestyle changes.

This is why ALL employers are required to begin at Bronze and progress systematically upwards through the levels (It is not mandatory to complete the Foundation level before signing up to complete Bronze level - see below). Every employer/ organisation who signs-up to participate in the Award scheme is supported by a dedicated Health Improvement Specialist.

Foundation - a discrete “pre-Bronze” level for any organisations who are new to workplace health and wellbeing or have limited capacity and feel they would benefit from a lighter-touch introduction. It is not mandatory to undertake this before signing up to Bronze.

Bronze - The Bronze level lays a firm foundation to build a healthier workplace.

Silver - The Silver level of the Award builds upon the basics of the Bronze level and rewards organisations that take a more holistic view of the workplace.

Gold - This level builds upon the Silver level and requires companies to look outside their own organisation and promote health within the wider community.

Continuing Excellence - This recognises the importance of organisations sustaining the progress they have made during their participation in the Award and encourages them to use their experience to support others.

Maintaining Excellence - Achieved by employers who have been engaged with the Award for long enough to have achieved a pass at all levels via the completion of a criteria document, portfolio and full workplace assessment.

Ambassador Status - Organisations are eligible for Ambassador Status on achievement of Maintaining Excellence and with the recommendation of their designated Workplace Health Improvement Specialist. This is then passed through to the BHAWA Verification Panel for endorsement.

We joined the scheme to help us improve the health & wellbeing of our workforce not only at work but also at home. The campaigns and areas that we cover are varied and we try to include the workforces family and friends wherever possible.

The award is very well structured there is lots of information on the BHAWA website and we have lots of help at support. It has ensured that our organisations' Health & Wellbeing agenda is structured and well thought out.

- North East & North Cumbria ICB ,

A healthy workforce is a happy workforce. Grundfos puts its people first and we want to ensure all of our employees are healthy and well which is why the award is an ideal opportunity to drive this ambition and show the recognition for this drive to the workforce, our customers and the general public.

The award has provided a perfect driver for our health and wellbeing campaigns and ensures we are always kept on the right track and up to date with the latest strategies and wider community initiatives. The award website provides lots of extremely useful resource material to support our campaigns.

- Grundfos manufacturing, Sunderland

"We joined the Award to promote a healthier, happier workplace and provide our team with tools and encouragement to improve wellbeing both at work and at home. It offers a structured approach that aligns with our commitment to supporting our people.

The Award has been a great motivator, helping us focus our wellbeing efforts and create meaningful activities for staff. The advice and resources provided have been invaluable in shaping our campaigns and engaging our team in positive, lasting change".

- SUEZ TeesValley, Stockton, Maintaining Excellence Level achieved 2024

"Our goal was to promote a happy, healthy and engaged inclusive workforce by raising awareness, providing education and signposting employees to services and programmes whether in person or online, to help them maintain or enhance their health and wellbeing in both work and home environments.

The award enabled Nexus to gain recognition as an exceptional organisation in offering health and wellbeing support for staff and be recognised as an ambassador for other organisations in the North East".

- Nexus, Newcastle, Maintaining Excellence Level achieved 2024

At the plant, we really wanted to support our Employees Health and Wellbeing as we transitioned back to normal business, following the Global Pandemic. This award provided us with the structure we needed to develop and launch the Health and Wellbeing plant wide strategy.

Not only does the award provide us with a criteria and structure to follow, it also allows us to focus on topics which we may not have considered previously. In addition, it provides us a network with other local businesses to allow us to benchmark and share best practices.

- Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd, Sunderland

"Better Health at Work Award has truly transformed our workplace culture. It has inspired us to prioritise employee wellbeing; boosting morale, productivity, and engagement. The support and guidance provided is invaluable. We’re proud to champion health and wellbeing thanks to this outstanding initiative.

A highly recommended program for any forward-thinking company.

We value the recognition and support the award offers. The guidance from Grace and Craig is second to none. We've also built valuable contacts through the award, which has brought real benefits to the company and strengthened our focus on employee wellbeing".

- Walker FIltration, Sunderland, Bronze Level achieved 2024