Skip to main content
Search Results

Compass investigates whether working from home is bad for our health

24th Aug 2023 - 10:17
Image
Abstract
UK employees who work from home are more likely to eat indulgent foods, snack between meals and work longer hours than their workplace-based colleagues, according to new research from Compass Group and global market intelligence agency Mintel.

Morag Freathy, managing director of Eurest (part of Compass Group UK & Ireland), said: “It’s clear that workers everywhere want to adopt healthier lifestyles. But, with snacks readily available in the kitchen cupboard and the pressure to plan and prepare balanced meals for themselves, employees who work from home are finding it hardest to maintain healthy eating habits during their working day.

“Knowing that hybrid workers want to catch up with colleagues and eat more healthily on days when they go into the office, UK employers have a real opportunity through their food offerings, breakout spaces and wellbeing initiatives to enhance the health and wellbeing of their teams, while also encouraging them back into the workplace more often.”

Global Eating at Work Survey

Analysing insights from 35,000 workers across 26 countries, Compass Group’s Global Eating at Work Survey 2023 found that the vast majority of workers in the UK recognise the productivity, health and wellbeing benefits of maintaining a healthy diet during their working week.

Struggle to maintain health diets

Despite this, more than half of the UK workforce say they struggle to maintain healthy diets whilst at work, with employees who work from home finding it hardest to resist temptation.

Hybrid workers

In contrast, two thirds (67%) of UK hybrid workers said they make a concerted effort to eat more healthily on days when they go into the workplace, while calling for more guidance and support from their employers to achieve this.

Age differences

Across all age groups, younger UK workers are most interested in healthy eating at work and how the food they eat impacts their productivity.

Ryan Holmes, culinary director of B&I at Compass Group UK & Ireland, commented: “Snacking is on the rise. Younger generations especially are trading down from meals into smaller bites, preferring to graze throughout the day rather than eat at set times, which better suits their ‘on-the-go’ lifestyles and smaller budgets. With workforce demographics shifting towards Gen Z and Millennials, this snacking trend is here to stay.”

Compass approach to nutrition & wellbeing

Nicky Martin, director of nutrition and wellbeing at Compass Group UK & Ireland, added: “We’re changing the way we approach nutrition and wellbeing in the workplace, integrating food service and behavioural science to gently nudge consumers towards healthier choices.

“For clients, this means expanding the variety of healthy food options we offer in office settings, optimising portion sizes, cutting ultra-processed foods from menus, and introducing more slow-release energy snacks to boost employee productivity throughout the day.

“Clients are increasingly exploring new ways to help their employees eat more healthily at home too. We’re helping clients organise pop-up events from nutritionists, producing recipe cards to inspire home cooks, and even introducing urban farms into offices, to grow healthy, fresh produce that employees can take home with them.”

Category
Written by
Edward Waddell