The Fiji Civil Service has formally adopted a revised Civil Service Workplace Health and Wellness Policy, aimed at creating healthier, safer and more supportive work environments across all government ministries and departments.
The updated policy, first issued in 2011 and revised in December 2025, provides a comprehensive framework to address physical, mental, social and occupational wellbeing in the public service, with a strong focus on reducing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and promoting positive workplace culture.
The policy binds all civil service stakeholders and requires ministries and departments to either align their internal workplace health policies with the national framework or adopt it in full.
Compliance will be monitored by Permanent Secretaries, supported by Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Committees acting as Healthy Workplace Committees.
The policy originates from a World Health Organization-supported regional programme targeting NCDs and has since expanded to cover the entire civil service.
It introduces a structured “healthy workplace approach,” including staff engagement, baseline health screening, mitigation planning, implementation and monitoring.
Key measures include mandatory annual workplace health screenings, weekly Wellness Wednesdays to encourage physical activity, strict tobacco-free workplaces, and a prohibition on the consumption of yaqona, alcohol and illicit drugs in government workplaces, except for limited cultural exemptions.
The framework also places strong emphasis on mental health, stress management and healthy nutrition, requiring government-funded events to comply with national healthy catering standards. Ministries must also provide breastfeeding facilities and promote calorie-awareness initiatives among staff.
Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments are tasked with ensuring policy integration into daily operations, while managers are expected to lead by example.
The policy also outlines environmental and social responsibility measures, including safe and accessible workspaces, disaster preparedness, flexible work arrangements and community outreach programmes.
The policy will be reviewed every 24 months, with oversight by the Ministry of Civil Service and reporting to the Public Service Commission.
