When it comes to health and wellness, the programs offered to improve employee well-being in the workplace are just as important as those activities they do off the clock; considering we spend on average more than 30% of our life at work (and spend another 30% sleeping). According to the CDC, healthy, engaged and well-adjusted employees have a better quality of life; lower risk of disease, illness, and injury; and optimized work performance with a greater chance of making contributions to their communities both in and out of the office. Ensuring personal wellness, healthy eating, and happy, engaged minds amongst team members should continue to be a major focus of executives looking to increase productivity and advance company culture.
As company culture, employee engagement and well-being take center stage in ensuring happy, healthy teams, we wanted to examine how food and connection in the flexible workplace can benefit your organization.
Let’s Take a Look at the Numbers
- Employees who work at organizations with catering are 54% more likely to stay with the company, and 70% are more likely to recommend it as a good place to work
- 70% of employees enrolled in wellness programs have reported higher job satisfaction than those not enrolled in the companies’ program
- 43% of companies invest in a wellness program to some degree to improve company culture
- Wellness activities that are aimed at preventing disease risk can help reduce insurance costs by up to $136 per employee
- Employees who feel like their well-being is a priority in the workplace are 69% less likely to start looking for a new job
- 46% of employees want non-monetary appreciation from their employers in the form of snacks, lunches, and dinners
- In comparison with disengaged teams, highly engaged teams saw a 23% percent increase in profitability and an 18% increase in sales productivity.
Supporting the well-being of your team and cultivating a culture of connection feels like a major win-win to us, so here are some ways you can get started.
Provide Healthy In-Office Food and Beverage Offerings
We know that food is the key to many employees’ hearts, but it could be the key to keeping them healthy, too. Trying to maintain a healthy diet during the workweek can be difficult, especially if your employees have busy days or work in a populated area with a nightmarish lunch rush. By providing healthy in-office snacks, having fresh water available, and offering daily lunches personalized to their needs, you can help fuel your team while also boosting morale.
We all love some cookies or pizza for a holiday celebration, but these options aren’t always ideal. When you have a meeting, do not always opt for donuts. Try getting fruit instead. If it is a lunch meeting, consider offering a soup and salad bar, or healthy sandwich options along with fruit and veggies.
Food in the office can also improve employee satisfaction, contributing to overall wellness on account of reduced stress. 67% of employees who have access to free meals at work report being very satisfied with their job compared to 56% of people who report the same but don’t receive food.
Schedule Wellness Activities
The easiest way to ensure your employees have enough time for wellness activities? Schedule them during work hours! Let’s face it: your team members are busy. And when their schedule isn’t full of work, family activities, and other extracurriculars, they typically want to use their downtime to relax. So by adding a positive and purposeful activity to your workday, you can give them time to recenter and recharge, boosting their productivity for the remainder of their day.
Scheduling these activities also exposes your team to wellness practices they may not have engaged in before; in turn, this can help your employees practice it on their own if they find an activity they really like! Lastly, these activities create a team bonding opportunity and allow for your employees to connect with each experience.
Cater2.me’s virtual experience platform offers a full suite of wellness and team-building activities perfect for helping your employees focus on their mind, body and spirit. We feature offerings like guided meditations, yoga classes, paint and sip, wine and charcuterie class, murder mystery, and so much more! Whether you’re focused on stress reduction, fitness, creativity, fun, or just plain relaxation, we can create a program that is tailored to your needs.
Allow for a Flexible Schedule
Many companies are leaning towards operating on a hybrid work schedule for good especially since the pandemic. And since more than 50% of employees are worried about their safety when returning to the office, offering a flexible work model may be a great way to protect your team’s health while boosting morale. With fewer employees coming in and out of the office per day, you can reduce the spread of germs by allowing for greater social distancing, extra time for cleaning, and more space to mingle freely throughout the office. Whether your company is hybrid, or you wish to cater food to your team, our meal plans will accommodate your needs. To learn more, click here!
By providing snacks to your employees, you can improve their lifestyles and show them how much you care for their well-being. With our employee snack box program, you can send snack boxes right to your remote employees’ door while still adding a personal touch. It’s customizable with curated options ranging from healthy bars to dried fruit to sweet snacks!
“How can I keep my employees happy and healthy?”
If any of the above sounds like something you are looking to implement in your company, let us know. We have many meal solutions and employee experiences available to accommodate flexible workplaces and companies of all sizes! You can also check out these top ways to keep employees motivated in your organization!
This is just the tip of the iceberg of ways to cultivate a thriving workplace and we are happy to help you create a one-of-a-kind experience that can benefit your office culture and team’s well-being. And since we facilitate everything from start to finish, you won’t have to lift a finger and will get to join in with your colleagues! Click here to learn more.
