Employment experts have launched a new guide to help businesses promote a more healthy workplace.

Recent figures from the Health and Safety Executive showed 307,000 people in the south east were suffering from an illness they believed was caused or made worse by their work.

Now employment relations service Acas has launched Health, Work and Wellbeing in the workplace, a guide which offers advice to businesses and employees.

It gives advice on how to recognise health problems, such as mental and repetitive strain disorders.

It also gives tips on setting up a healthy and well-designed workplace.

Paul Beard, area director, for Acas’ south east region, said: "Creating a healthy workplace has strong benefits for individuals and organisations.

"This guide will help businesses to ensure that measures are taken to look after its employees, which in turn will boost productivity and effectiveness.

"If businesses can take steps to manage ill-health – physical and mental – then they will save money and have happier employees.’’

The guide is available online at www.acas.org.uk