The average American will spend 90,000 hours at work during their lifetime. That means how employees eat and exercise in the workplace will have a big impact on their overall health. When you also consider the fact that the average person spends 25 times more time at work than at the gym, you begin to realize the importance of promoting healthy habits in the workplace.
Wellness Starts At The Top
The healthiest companies to work for in the U.S. recognize that healthy employees are productive employees. To support their employee’s wellness efforts, many of these companies offer wellness programs that include anything from onsite yoga to free gym memberships, organic cafeteria dining to healthy vending machines at work, and health screenings to alternative health plans. Promoting healthy habits in the workplaces can benefit both employee and company health by lowering healthcare costs, improving morale and increasing productivity.
Healthy Habits Improve Performance
We all know that eating healthy and exercise can have a positive impact on overall personal health, but did you know that what employees eat has a direct impact on workplace productivity? A healthy diet can improve physical performance, mental clarity, energy levels and stamina, while poor eating habits can lead to decreased productivity, reduced mental acuity and even workplace accidents.
What causes employees to make poor food choices during the workday? Some common reasons are:
- Not enough break time to eat healthy due to deadlines, short lunch breaks, etc.
- Easy access to unhealthy options such as traditional vending machine junk food
- Limited information about making healthy nutrition choices
- Lack of motivation
Supporting Employee Wellness Initiatives
As healthcare costs rise, employers are continually looking toward preventative measures as a way to reduce overall costs while promoting healthy habits in the workplace. Studies indicate that healthy employees are more productive and take less time off from work for health-related reasons.
There are simple ways employers support and promote healthier habits in the workplace. The key is to make it both simple and palatable for employees to curb unhealthy eating habits. These simple changes can help promote healthy habits at work:
- Provide convenient access to healthier, nutritional options such as fresh fruit, healthy snacks and hot meals on site
- Encourage walking or stretching during breaks, and offer onsite classes or discounts to local gyms
- Promote HR incentives for bringing healthy initiatives to the workplace
- Remove junk food vending machines and replace with healthy vending machines at work
Healthy Eating At Work
Workplace vending machines are a convenient option for snacks, but traditional vending machines are often filled with unhealthy junk food that just makes employees feel sluggish and unproductive. Healthy vending machines at work make it easy for companies to promote healthy habits in the workplace by providing healthier snack options.
Better health means a healthier bottom line for businesses. Promote healthy habits in the workplace and reap the benefits.
