Workers Cite Saboteurs of Workplace Wellness Efforts

Food at office celebrations and snacks brought in by colleagues were the biggest obstacles to meeting health and wellness goals cited by survey respondents.

Two-thirds of HR managers (66%) reported their organization has expanded their health and wellness offerings in the past five years, according to a survey from OfficeTeam.

 

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HR managers cited some of the most innovative things they’ve heard of a company doing to support employee health and wellness, including:

  • Paying employees extra money if they don’t check work email while on vacation;
  • Offering onsite exercise, meditation, yoga and healthy cooking classes;
  • Providing free massages;
  • Having a nurse’s department in the office;
  • Giving workers fitness tracking devices; and
  • Offering onsite personal trainers.

 

Eighty-nine percent of workers said their company is supportive of their wellness goals. However, some cited saboteurs of their wellness goals. Employees cited food at office celebrations (30%) and snacks brought in by colleagues (22%) as the biggest obstacles to meeting health and wellness goals. Other obstacles include: free meals, the vending machine and the office candy jar (all three cited by 10% of employees); happy hours or after-work drinks (9%); and business trips (8%).

 

More than two in five professionals (44%) said they eat healthier when they work from home. Of all respondent groups, male employees (53%) and those ages 18 to 34 (55%) reported this most often.  Three in five professionals (60%) bring their lunch to the office. Women (73%) and workers ages 55 and older (75%) are most likely to pack their meals.

 

More findings are available here.

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