Contact our Wellbeing Team on 0800 170 1777

Nutrition at work – how you can help your employees

Many of us are confined to our desks for 7-8 hours a day and as a result, find it difficult to get proper nutrition during the working day. In today’s fast passed society nutrition is as important as ever. Salty, fatty or sugary snacks from the office vending machine or canteen may give us a quick boost, but in the long run, they are only slowing us down.
Sugary foods such as chocolate bars and cakes offer forms of energy that hit the bloodstream straight away making us feel recharged. This causes the body to react and produce insulin which helps to digest sugar properly and prevent the blood glucose from going too high at once. But as this fails and the glucose levels plummet again the body is forced to generate too much adrenaline which can then lead to nervousness, irritability and depression.
In the workplace, the short-term dehydrating effects of caffeine, salt-laden and fatty foods are strongly linked to a reduction in mental performance as well as headaches. And in the long run, employees indulging in too many processed foods are at a risk of developing a range of serious health issues.  For example, a high salt intake is a major contributor to an increase in blood pressure which is the main cause of both strokes and heart attacks.
Poor nutrition also is directly linked with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and obesity.  In 2010 obesity accounted for 18 million days of sickness absence and 30,000 premature deaths. The indirect cost to business through loss of earnings due to sickness from obesity rose to £3.6 billion from £2.58 billion in 2004.
While unhealthy foods contribute to ill health and a reduction in job performance, healthy alternatives and a balanced diet can significantly improve workplace productivity.  Research has shown that inadequate nourishment can reduce employee’s efficiency by 20% and that poor nutrition is directly linked to absenteeism, sickness, low morale and higher rates of workplace accidents. Paying people who are not at work is costly and absences may also have an impact on customer service, product quality and the workload and stress of other employees.

So what can organisations do to actively encourage staff to change their eating habits and at the same time ensure a healthy impact on the company’s productivity and profits?

Firstly, assessing the nutritional environment of the workplace is a fundamental part of any employee wellness programme. In 2011, 59% of adults surveyed cited “hard to get at work” as the most popular reason for not eating fruit and vegetables, 62% of those surveyed said they skipped lunch or lunched at their desk at least once a week, and 20% said they never take a lunch break at all.
Encourage staff to prepare their own food to work. Swapping crisps and pastries for fruit, nuts and vegetables will not only save money – those that do this will consume around 15,000 calories less a month! If you have a canteen, make sure that food and drink options are healthy and limit salt and sugar. Another good choice is to replace soft drinks and coffee machines with water coolers and arrange fresh fruit deliveries over unhealthy vending machines.
Investments into nutrition are repaid in a reduction of sick days and an increase in productivity and morale. It will not only help to look after current staff but it may be an attractive tool in recruitment.
Educating staff on the basics of good nutrition is vital. Our Health Promotion Events & Educational Workshops are a great way to promote health and prevent stress. Carried out on-site our services are designed to take a proactive approach to corporate health and wellbeing and are delivered by professional and knowledgeable staff.

Recent Posts

Time to Talk Day 2022

Time to Talk day was created by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, two of the

Search our website

Copy link
Powered by Social Snap