As the debate about the health of the nation continues, one of the topics racing up the political agenda is workplace wellbeing.
We at Kellogg’s have long recognised that having a healthy, committed workforce is vital to business success, as have most of the major food companies. In short, the wellbeing of our colleagues – or lack thereof – has a direct impact on productivity and our bottom line. It is more important than ever to build a strong reputation as an excellent employer as we compete to recruit the best possible talent.
The figures speak for themselves. Research conducted by Ipsos Mori for Baxter Storey estimates that poor eating habits alone cause a productivity loss of almost 97 million working days, worth £16.85bn a year.
Kellogg’s established its Fit for Life campaign in 2004. Back then we recognised that we needed to develop a scheme that went way beyond the traditional health and safety agenda. Our occupational health team provides guidance on living a healthier life, with free and confidential annual health assessments including blood pressure and cholesterol tests as well as lifestyle insight.
A key element of our philosophy is explaining the role of a balanced lifestyle – which is why we encourage our employees to recognise the importance of physical wellbeing, eating better and taking appropriate exercise. Just providing health checks isn’t enough. We have ramped up our activities and reviewed the provisions from our caterers to enable a healthier lifestyle to be achieved during flexible working hours. Since the launch the scheme has gone from strength to strength and is widely supported and appreciated by colleagues. We’ve also found the initiatives led to significant improvements in blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
We are not alone in this. Other food companies have been doing similar things, bringing to life one of the key commitments within the industry health and wellbeing action plan launched by the Food and Drink Federation in 2004.
This should not be seen as simply a ‘big company’ issue – it’s something all responsible businesses should be doing. And there’s plenty of help for those who want to make a start.
The FDF, with input from the Food Standards Agency and a number of its leading members, including Kellogg’s, recently published a Healthy Eating Toolkit that suggests simple steps companies can take to start instilling wellbeing initiatives and promoting healthy eating in their workplaces. It was introduced to support a major campaign developed by Business in the Community, which aims to make workplace wellbeing a boardroom issue for UK businesses, creating a corporate movement for genuine change.
The FDF has pledged to play a key part in making the campaign’s ambition a reality, by reporting annually on the work of member companies such as ours, showcasing excellence through a workplace category in its Community Partnership Awards and sharing best practice via case studies on its website.
Now that the politicians and policy makers have finally caught up with industry, my challenge to readers of The Grocer is simple: are you making a difference to the wellbeing of your employees? As times get tougher, I recognise that it must be tempting to think of all this as an expensive luxury. But as the race for talent intensifies, surely none of us can really afford to under-invest in this area.
Greg Peterson is MD of Kellogg’s UK
We at Kellogg’s have long recognised that having a healthy, committed workforce is vital to business success, as have most of the major food companies. In short, the wellbeing of our colleagues – or lack thereof – has a direct impact on productivity and our bottom line. It is more important than ever to build a strong reputation as an excellent employer as we compete to recruit the best possible talent.
The figures speak for themselves. Research conducted by Ipsos Mori for Baxter Storey estimates that poor eating habits alone cause a productivity loss of almost 97 million working days, worth £16.85bn a year.
Kellogg’s established its Fit for Life campaign in 2004. Back then we recognised that we needed to develop a scheme that went way beyond the traditional health and safety agenda. Our occupational health team provides guidance on living a healthier life, with free and confidential annual health assessments including blood pressure and cholesterol tests as well as lifestyle insight.
A key element of our philosophy is explaining the role of a balanced lifestyle – which is why we encourage our employees to recognise the importance of physical wellbeing, eating better and taking appropriate exercise. Just providing health checks isn’t enough. We have ramped up our activities and reviewed the provisions from our caterers to enable a healthier lifestyle to be achieved during flexible working hours. Since the launch the scheme has gone from strength to strength and is widely supported and appreciated by colleagues. We’ve also found the initiatives led to significant improvements in blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
We are not alone in this. Other food companies have been doing similar things, bringing to life one of the key commitments within the industry health and wellbeing action plan launched by the Food and Drink Federation in 2004.
This should not be seen as simply a ‘big company’ issue – it’s something all responsible businesses should be doing. And there’s plenty of help for those who want to make a start.
The FDF, with input from the Food Standards Agency and a number of its leading members, including Kellogg’s, recently published a Healthy Eating Toolkit that suggests simple steps companies can take to start instilling wellbeing initiatives and promoting healthy eating in their workplaces. It was introduced to support a major campaign developed by Business in the Community, which aims to make workplace wellbeing a boardroom issue for UK businesses, creating a corporate movement for genuine change.
The FDF has pledged to play a key part in making the campaign’s ambition a reality, by reporting annually on the work of member companies such as ours, showcasing excellence through a workplace category in its Community Partnership Awards and sharing best practice via case studies on its website.
Now that the politicians and policy makers have finally caught up with industry, my challenge to readers of The Grocer is simple: are you making a difference to the wellbeing of your employees? As times get tougher, I recognise that it must be tempting to think of all this as an expensive luxury. But as the race for talent intensifies, surely none of us can really afford to under-invest in this area.
Greg Peterson is MD of Kellogg’s UK
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