Workplace stressors are caused by physical and emotional tensions, resulting in poor health, sick leave, and employee turnover, all of which have a significant impact on personal and workplace performance and productivity. Presenteeism, or being physically present but performing below normal capacity, is a major contributor to decreased productivity, which is a major concern for organisations of all sizes.
The impact of healthy living on employees
Research published in the US by the journal Population Health Management on presenteeism in smokers, people not eating healthy and people not exercising, found that:
Smokers were 28% more likely to under-perform than non-smokers.
Employees with an unhealthy diet were 66% more likely to have high presenteeism compared to those who regularly ate whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
Employees with poor exercise routines were 50% more likely to have high presenteeism than employees who exercise regularly.
2 out of 3 employees surveyed have difficulty maintaining a healthy diet at work
These findings clearly demonstrate the impact that healthy living and eating have on presenteeism.
The importance of nutrition to support physical and mental health
There is abundant evidence to support the benefits of optimal nutrition to help overcome stress, benefitting overall physical and mental health. Unfortunately, nutrition rarely plays a significant role in managing personal well-being and dealing with workplace stressors as part of employee wellbeing programmes, despite it being a key driver in dealing with vulnerabilities like chronic health conditions. Where nutrition is included, it is typically presented as education webinars which depend on employee engagement, or in healthy canteen options which rely on employee willpower.
The trouble is that when you’re having a bad day, the first thing to suffer is your diet. Fast, convenient options from vending machines may bring immediate satisfaction but the sugar content will only provide short-term solutions to stress and fatigue, and long-term consequences to your overall health. Proper healthy nutrition, with its transformative capabilities, can improve productivity and build resilience. A well-nourished body results in a positive perspective, and nurtures individual well-being and performance, thus also impacting workplace wellness.
So, how can we support personal stress and energy through nutrition?
To effectively manage personal stress and energy, it is important to manage what we consume. Products with poor nutritional content like excessive sugar, caffeinated drinks, oily food etc., are often the prime stimulants of headaches and fatigue.
By providing immediate access to precision nutrition, we can improve cognition, energy, and resilience levels, resulting in healthier, happier, and more productive employees, benefiting both the employee and employer.
Employee wellness is overly reliant on reactive platforms and approaches. They may work as long-term solutions, but completely neglect the need for immediate action. There are few options available for an employee feeling fatigued on a Tuesday afternoon, who often needs to choose between more caffeine or the vending machine to save the day.
How does Reso Health work?
Reso Health is a Life Sciences company developing a platform to provide customised supplement drinks to employees, containing essential vitamins, minerals, botanicals and amino acids to power the workday.
We’ve spoken to:
Nutritionists and medical professionals validating the benefits of nutrition.
Over 30 Human Resources Directors responsible for maintaining employee wellness, who have told us of their need for more proactive initiatives for their teams.
Over 600 employees, who would love to see a healthy alternative like Reso Health in their workplace.
Maintaining a supplement regime can be very difficult, especially when life gets in the way. We have been told stories of how a 1-month box of multivitamins has magically lasted for 3 months. It depends on how your morning is going, if the kids slept, if you remembered to re-order, or maybe you just can’t afford them this month. Placing the service in the workplace means you can build it into your workplace routine, and the employer gets to reap the benefits of happy and healthy employees during work hours.
Are you ready to make a change?
If you would like to learn more about how Reso Health can help you or help your company with a proactive approach to workplace nutrition that is customised, convenient and tastes great, why not fill in our form. You will also be able to keep up to date on our field study trials and start-up journey. Alternatively, drop us an email at hello@resohealth.com and we can have a chat.