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In this article, you will learn:
- How does diet affect productivity and work quality?
- What nutritional mistakes do employees make?
- How can the company provide them with support in healthy eating?
Did you know that… Johnson and Johnson calculated that every dollar spent on an employee health program, promoting healthy eating and physical activity, is almost a $3 savings for the employer? [1]
What aspects of work can diet affect?
- Higher efficiency
The World Health Organization data is clear: regular consumption of healthy meals increases work efficiency by about 20%. Another organization has also reached similar conclusions: the Health Enhancement Research Organization. She estimates that up to 25% more efficiency. It is equally important regular intake of healthy fluids. It turns out that it already is slight dehydration (at the level of 2-3%, i.e. the level that we feel as a dry throat) translates into a 20% decrease in work efficiency. [1] In short - a healthy diet is effective work.
- Lower absenteeism
We have already written about how important an aspect sickness absence is for each employee and the entire company. HERE Meanwhile, this is it meals largely influence immunity and this in turn influences the number of L4 releases. A menu rich in vitamin C and unsaturated fatty acids comes to the rescue here.
- Better atmosphere
The lack of conflicts and unnecessary stressors means better work of the entire team. Meanwhile, the drinks that employees like so much - coffee and tea - have a negative impact on their absorption iron and magnesium, i.e. elements responsible for well-being or the feeling of stress and fatigue. It is also necessary for good functioning at work potassium, the lack of which may cause irritability. So you can see that a well-balanced diet can actually improve the parameters that are responsible for the atmosphere in the company. And this translates into work and results.
- Higher quality
Lack of concentration can generate costly mistakes and, in extreme situations, even cause accidents at work. Among other things, carbohydrates are responsible for it. The complex ones (available, among others, in raw vegetables) significantly improve energy, while those simple contribute to a feeling of drowsiness, a feeling of heaviness and problems with concentration. Concentration is also influenced by meal times, specifically spacing between them. They should not be longer than 3-4 hours. Otherwise, blood glucose levels may drop. Effect? Lack of concentration, lethargy or irritability. [2]
What does the practice look like? The study showed that Of the 62% of employees who believed they ate healthily, only 31% followed a moderately healthy diet. [2]
Dietary deadly sins of Polish workers
- Eating breakfast too late
The study "Eating habits of working Poles", conducted by DailyFruits, showed that as many as 46% of working Poles eat breakfast too late. As a result, for a large part of the day, they are not as productive as people with healthy eating habits. [2]
- Not enough meals
In turn, the study conducted by IPSOS revealed that as many as 1/3 of Poles eat less than 2 meals throughout the working day. They usually reach for a second breakfast in the form of sandwiches and then for sweet snacks. [4] Another study, commissioned by the recruitment website MonsterPolska.pl, shows an even more disturbing fact - as many as 15% of Poles do not eat at all during the working day. [5]
- Snacks instead of fruits and vegetables
Already mentioned sweet snacks are another nutritional sin in Polish companies. Employees choose them instead of vegetables (which 41% of respondents do not eat regularly) or fruit (which 46% of employees do not use on a daily basis). [2]
- Not enough fluids
Coffee remains the queen of office drinks. However, in general we have a problem with hydration. Respondents more than 50% of them do not drink enough fluids. [2]
- Eating at the desk
Unfortunately, such a habit promotes rushing (which translates into gastric problems) and choosing meals that will provide a quick energy kick - which most often means a solid dose of simple carbohydrates. Meanwhile up to 2/3 of employees regularly eat their main meal at their desk. [3] This not only translates into bad eating habits, but is also extremely unhygienic and may cause conflicts in the team - especially since intense odors can irritate or distract.
So what can the company do?
Of course, it is not the company's role to impose a daily diet on employees. However, there are still many ways to draw their attention to this aspect. Many of them are already successfully used by Polish entrepreneurs. However, let us remember that the key to success is synergy - only the right plan and combination of many solutions will give the desired results. The second important rule is "no force" it is worth educating and creating opportunities for healthy solutions. Bans and orders, e.g. eating in specific places or hours, may negatively affect the atmosphere in the company.
Healthy solutions for employees
- Snack machines
Snacks will appear in the office anyway, but we can influence their quality. The machines may include, for example, dried fruit, dark chocolate, sugar-free protein sweets or water instead of bars and sweet carbonated drinks.
- Dietitian support
Experts are now practically at your fingertips, and the company can additionally facilitate the use of their support, for example as part of benefits. The MultiLife brand provides such a solution in the form of 30-minute consultations with a dietitian, after which each interested person receives individual tips regarding their menu. Everything tailored to the lifestyle and needs of a given person. More details HERE.
- Fruit days
Although fruit Tuesdays and Thursdays have already been joked a lot, they are still an ideal way to accustom employees to reaching for healthy snacks. They are definitely a better choice than, for example, pizza Friday - a custom that came to us from American startups.
- The power of the intranet
The intranet can be a real treasure trove of knowledge. You can post here webinar recordings, articles or links encouraging you to download safe and proven applications, such as a diet creator MultiLife Diet, allowing you to adjust meals to, among others, your lifestyle and dietary restrictions.
- Canteen or kitchenette
A place to prepare and eat meals in a leisurely manner is an ideal alternative to hastily eating them at your desk. It promotes not only healthy eating, but also integration between company departments that rarely see each other.
- Campaigns and gamification
It is worth generating opportunities to eat healthy. Therefore, in addition to "fruit days", you can introduce healthy weeks in which employees listen to thematically selected webinars or take part in quizzes with prizes.
- Knowledge at every step
Useful information and encouragement to eat healthy can be used in many places - for example, in the form of posters in a corporate cafeteria. It is important that education is accompanied by a light, casual tone.
Regardless of what we choose, it is worth following three simple rules:
- Create opportunities – instead of imposing restrictions, introduce solutions and spaces in the company that encourage healthy habits.
- Educate – a large portion of mistakes stems from a lack of knowledge; it is worth creating a bridge between employees and experts.
- Plan – fruit Tuesdays are not enough; health-promoting activities must be an integral part of your company's strategic plan.
Sources:
- https://monitorurzedowy.pl/article/411/wplyw-odzywiania-na-efektywnosc-w-pracy
- https://www.pulshr.pl/rynek-zdrowie/zdrowa-dieta-prawia-produktywnosc-pracowcy-o-tym-zapominaja,77621.html
- https://portal.abczdrowie.pl/spozywanie-jeczenia-w-pracy-przy-biurku-oslabia-produktywnosc-pracownikow
- https://posbistro.com/blog/pl/polacy-jedza-pracy/
- https://www.portalspozywczy.pl/dookola-rynku/wiadomosci/badanie-co-polacy-jedza-w-pracy,143558.html
- https://faktyozywnosci.pl/produkty-zwiekszajace-produktywnosc-mozgu/.
