The World Day for Safety and Health at Work, marked every year on April 28, is an opportunity to remind ourselves of the importance of investing in the health, safety, and well-being of employees. Since the average person spends nearly one-third of their life at work, it is clear that a quality work environment is not just a matter of standards, but the foundation of long-term satisfaction and success for both employees and organizations.
With this in mind, the Association for Addiction Prevention NARKO-NE, in cooperation with the Public Health Institute of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, organized a presentation and training titled Together for a Healthy Work Environment! on April 28, 2025.
The event took place in Sarajevo, at the Hills Hotel, and brought together department heads and human resources representatives from various institutions and companies. The goal of this gathering was to acquaint participants with the key principles of employee health protection and the importance of implementing preventive programs in the workplace.
The training was led by Ileana Šnur–Muratagić, a certified social worker and expert associate for workplace prevention programs at NARKO-NE, and Prof. Dr. Aida Ramić–Čatak, Assistant Director for Professional Affairs at the Public Health Institute of FBiH.
Professor Ramić–Čatak presented the results of research on employee health surveillance and protection, highlighting that as many as 40% of employees report that a poor work environment negatively affects their health. She emphasized that such problems do not only impact individuals but also the entire company through increased staff turnover, decreased efficiency, and other challenges that ultimately threaten organizational stability.
During the training, participants engaged in interactive workshops where they acquired practical knowledge on how to recognize and respond to addiction-related problems in the workplace, and why it is important to systematically develop Workplace Health Promotion Programs.
Participant Renata Lačević, a smoking cessation educator in the workplace, shared her impressions of the training and her thoughts on the topic:
It was very useful to hear the research findings and understand how prevalent addiction issues are in the workplace. I found the workshop particularly interesting, where we learned how to properly handle situations involving addiction problems at work. We often think it’s our personal responsibility to help a colleague, but in fact, there are professionals and management we can and should turn to in such cases. I believe these trainings are extremely important because they make us aware that programs exist to raise awareness about these issues and ultimately work on reducing them.
Through this event, the NARKO-NE Association and the Public Health Institute of FBiH reaffirmed their commitment to creating safer and healthier workplaces and announced the continuation of activities aimed at prevention and the promotion of employee health.
Anisa Čelik Raščić
