The work we do and where we do it plays a huge part in our health and wellbeing. Our pay, the social connections we have at work, and the types of jobs we take on, all impact physical and mental health, for workers and their whānau.
Features of good quality work, that support health and wellbeing, include:
Access to quality work opportunities varies hugely across different groups, with major inequities reported for Māori, Pacific peoples, recent migrants and disabled people.
The definition of “quality work” varies from person to person, depending on their socio-economic background, the industry they work in, and other social factors such as gender and ethnicity.
ARPHS developed a project to define and measure quality work in Aotearoa New Zealand. Toi Te Ora, now part of Te Whatu Ora Te Manawa Taki, leads this project nationally with support from ARPHS, now part of Te Whatu Ora National Public Health Service, Northern Region.
The cleaning industry is one of the largest employing industries in Tāmaki Makaurau, employing almost 12,000 people. However, there are significant health and wellbeing challenges for those working within the industry.
Working with cleaners, businesses, training organisations and unions amongst others, ARPHS developed an Insights into Health and Wellbeing report in 2021 to understand workplace experiences for cleaners in Tāmaki Makaurau during the pandemic. The report brought together many perspectives within the commercial cleaning industry and identified what needs to change.
Since the publication of the Insights into Health and Wellbeing report:
Last updated 19.10.2023