Health and Safety

2008 Objectives

  • 5% decrease in workers’ compensation claims

Our employees have the right to a healthy and safe workplace as outlined in the Reed Elsevier Health and Safety Policy. As a measure of improving conditions, we achieved a 24% drop in workers’ compensation claims in the United States (117 in 2008 versus 153 in 2007), home to the majority of our employees. We expanded training for Health and Safety Champions to improve reporting, and received assurance on health and safety data from Ernst & Young.

In 2008, we held our first Health and Safety Month focused on lifting and handling of materials, a primary cause of lost time incidents the previous year. We also reviewed our US total rewards programme and are exploring new work/life resources that positively impact wellness and productivity and ensure we remain competitive.

2009 Objectives

  • Develop targeted and effective global wellness campaign
  • 10% reduction in severity rate by 2010 (from 2008 baseline)