From healthy eating campaigns to tackling stress, promoting workplace wellbeing can lead to higher productivity and less sick leave. As the downturn bites, is it an investment companies ignore at their peril?

The link between the downturn and the health of your employees may at first sound like a rather tenuous one. But for Parcelforce improving the health and wellbeing of staff has had a dramatic impact on its bottom line. When the parcel delivery company noticed its volumes falling as people tightened their belts and did less shopping over the internet, it started to look for where it could cut costs. "We realised we had to compete by improving quality and to do that we had to improve employee health for improved returns," explains the firm's HR director Peter Macdonald.

By introducing on-site screening clinics, physical and lifestyle assessments and a health education programme covering nutrition and the effects of stress and smoking, Parcelforce reduced sickness absence by one-third, saving 55,000 days and £5m. It saw a 12.5 per cent rise in productivity and a 50 per cent enhancement of customer service.

"We are going through a difficult time in the marketplace and employee health could get overlooked by more pressing concerns," says Macdonald. "But people spend a hell of a lot of time at work. The business case is blindingly obvious."

Parcelforce is not the only company to enjoy the benefits of better workplace health. Research by Business in the Community (BITC), an organisation that promotes corporate responsibility, shows the number of FTSE-100 companies reporting on the health of their employees has risen from 68 per cent in 2007 to 81 per cent this year.

"Before it was about health and safety and we used to worry about employees losing body parts," says Stephen Howard, chief executive of BITC. "But now people work in offices we worry about them missing work due to ill-health caused by a poor diet."

The latest CBI/AXA survey showed that absence from work cost UK businesses £13.2bn last year as the average employee took almost seven days off sick. Recognising that a healthy, committed workforce is the foundation to business success, in October 2007 BITC launched its Business Action on Health campaign to help advance the health and wellbeing of the British workforce. "Absenteeism is expensive," says Howard. "If employees are healthier, and their families are healthier, they are more likely to turn up to work."

A study by PricewaterhouseCoopers of 55 companies with a wellbeing programme revealed that 80 per cent reduced sickness absence; 32 per cent cut staff turnover; and 18 per cent raised productivity.

A key part of the BITC campaign is the promotion of healthy eating, which can have a positive impact on employees' health as well as their productivity. Figures from the National Audit Office show that obesity costs England alone 18 million sick days and 30,000 deaths a year, which according to government think tank Foresight amounts to £2.35bn-£2.6bn in lost earnings. But even for employees who do turn up to work, poor eating habits—such as having no breakfast or lunch—leads to a productivity loss of 97 million working days worth £16.85bn a year, according to a survey by contract caterer BaxterStorey published in November 2007.

"Promoting a healthy diet and sensible eating habits should be an important element of any integrated health and wellbeing strategy," says Melanie Leech, director general of the Food and Drink Federation. "Unfortunately, just one in 10 employers provide healthy food options and advice, despite the fact that food is essential for maintaining the health, energy and productivity of employees."

But many companies are getting it right. "Take Facebook's recent move to poach Josef Desimone, Google's chief food officer," says Kirstie Donnelly, director of products at Learndirect Business. "The Web 2.0 giants are well aware that if their employees receive the right nutrients, they'll be able to think quicker, retain more information, be better co-ordinated and have improved concentration."

Learndirect Business has been working with nutritionist Fiona Hunter to provide businesses with brain-boosting tips to help improve productivity, mood, memory and IQ (see tips below). "Breakfast is important for concentration, whatever your age," says Hunter. "People who skip breakfast score worse on IQ tests and have a slower reaction time."

Fluid intake is also important, according to Ben McGannan, managing director of Water for Work and Home, a company that provides water coolers and wellbeing services. "Hydration is important, not just to overall health but also to performance at work. Just a two per cent drop below adequate hydration will cause a 20 per cent reduction in mental and cognitive performance," he says.

But figures show that 50-70 per cent of people in the UK are dehydrated, and from McGannan's experience, the figure for dehydration among employees in the workplace is more like 70-80 per cent. "Routinely people fail to drink enough fluid," he says.

The consequences of dehydration, according to McGannan, are short-term (headaches, drowsiness and lack of concentration, which can affect your performance and wellbeing); longer term (kidney stones and urinary tract infections); and chronic (heart disease and cancer-in particular, digestive tract cancers such as colorectal cancer). "If you are adequately hydrated the risk of dying from a heart attack is reduced by 50 per cent," he explains.

The business case for implementing a health and wellbeing programme is compelling. "Health and wellbeing—more than many areas of the business—show the concrete return," says Howard. "It doesn't have to be expensive to put in place but for it to work, you need to approach it like you would any R&D spend. The way it is communicated to employees is important. You need to measure, review, update and get feedback from staff.

"Employees feel better about who they work for if they get a sense that their employers care. It is a good way to get commitment and focus from employees, especially now when they are worrying about the economy and their finances."

McGannan agrees: "Investing in workplace wellbeing means healthier employees. This directly translates into an improved bottom line as people take less time off sick and work more effectively. In a harsh economic climate, this is an investment companies can't afford not to make," he says.

Eight ways to boost your brainpower

Never skip breakfast. Eat slow-releasing carbohydrates such as porridge or muesli to keep energy levels stable. Add fruit and a glass of juice and you have already eaten two of the recommended five-a-day fruit and vegetables.
Eat regularly—every three to four hours. If possible, have a piece of fresh fruit mid-morning to help maintain your energy levels until lunch.
Make sure you eat enough iron (found in lean red meat, egg yolks, pulses, dried apricots and fortified breakfast cereals). Low levels of iron can affect your concentration levels and make you feel tired and lethargic.
Eat oily fish such as salmon, sardines and fresh tuna at least once a week. They contain omega-3 fats, which help the brain cells communicate with each other.
Eat your greens. In a study carried out by the University of Sydney, men and women who consumed the most vitamin C performed best in tests for recall, memory and attention.
Don't eat too late. A heavy meal late at night can interfere with sleep so try to eat your evening meal at least three hours before going to bed.
Eat lightly. Business lunches are a danger zone. If you choose the wrong thing this can make you feel tired and lethargic during the afternoon. If you need to stay alert in the afternoon, you should choose a protein-based lunch—a salad with chicken or fish, for example—and avoid alcohol.
Make sure you drink enough water. If your brain doesn't get enough fluid, you'll become  lethargic and will be more likely to suffer from headaches. Aim for six to eight glasses of fluid a day. Water is the healthiest choice, but other healthy drinks such as fruit juice, fruit smoothies and milk also count towards your daily fluid intake.

Working lunches: how two employers improved diets

Mother's pride
The philosophy at advertising agency Mother is that the workplace is a "home from home" and as such it has never had any problems with absenteeism, according to founding partner Stef Calcraft.

"When we first set up the agency, we wanted to make it a company we wanted to work for," he explains. "People spend more conscious time at work than they do at home so our ethos is to create an environment that is as stimulating and enjoyable as possible."

Mother takes pride in looking after its 100 employees, giving them £1 a day to spend on the gym or a healthy treat as well as half-price gym membership, in-house massages and reflexology.

"Everyone has free private medical healthcare, but in terms of health, no one has any occupational health issues," says Calcraft.

Breakfast, lunch and snacks are free for everyone. "We have a big restaurant area where all the companies in the building eat together," adds Calcraft. "We encourage people to stop work and have a proper break. Here, people switch off, share views and enjoy some social interaction. So instead of going out and foraging in sandwich shops and cafes people tend to stay here and enjoy some really nice food."

The restaurant provides healthy, freshly cooked food and lots of salads. Each day there is a different offering. "It is very communal," says Calcraft. "It creates a strong sense of identity and wellbeing within the organisation. It is a very important part of the culture. It makes people feel good about the place and like the company cares.

"As for productivity, people work very hard here and long hours. There is a very strong work culture at Mother. We say you don't work for Mother, Mother works for you. We like to make staff feel empowered and supported."

Healthier Unilever
Since food manufacturer Unilever was already improving its brands by removing trans-fats and reducing sugar, it felt it was "the right thing to do" to extend its knowledge to staff. After all, "consumers and employees are one and the same group of people", says George Gordon, head of public affairs, Unilever UK and Ireland.

It set up Vitality in Action, a voluntary programme offering
15-minute health checks to all employees. Just under half of the workforce became involved. And an analysis showed three statistical facts. More than half of people who took part were overweight; 15 per cent had cholesterol levels higher than six (the main modifiable risk factor in heart disease in the UK); and two out of three people were not doing enough exercise.

"We realised if we didn't do something about it then a quarter of our staff would develop coronary artery disease (CAD) in the next 10 years, which would not be good for business—so we looked at ways to intervene," explains Gordon.

As a global foods company with nutrition experience, one of the
key programmes was to improve on-site catering. Another initiative was to provide "lunch and learn" workshops to talk to people about nutrition and exercise.

Unilever also introduced milife, a 12-week programme where staff set their own goals. "Participants wear a wristband with a Bluetooth mechanism and memory," says Gordon. "It can store data such as your weight as well as track movement and give information about what you are eating." Average weight loss for 250 participants over 12 weeks has been three-and-a-half kilograms per person.

Feedback from employees has been positive. "One size doesn't fit all. We give people choices and allow them to do it themselves," says Gordon. "You can make a big footprint in public health if you can get your employees to take it back to their families, and we fully intend to play our part."