Healthy eating needs to be on every employer's agenda

What does good nutrition and healthy eating have to do with employers? Is it really our responsibility to educate staff about healthy eating?

There is a lot of debate about whose role it is to educate people about their health. But the best companies know that a healthy workforce means a healthy business.

According to our recent poll 100 per cent of HR professionals believe nutrition has an impact on the performance of their workforce.

With 100 per cent of the food that we eat affecting our health, energy and performance at work it makes good business sense for employers to support their staff to make healthy choices. 

The challenge for many employers is that they just don’t know where to start...

It is really quite simple. Essentially employers need to do two key things: 

1. Educate employees  
Give employees the tools to achieve a balanced diet. This means educating them so that they understand what a balanced diet is for them and how to achieve it - we work with lots of organisations to do this by delivering regular health related workshops, webinars and events.

2. Make sure healthy food is easy to access and not too expensive 
Where possible include healthy options for staff – if you have a canteen work with your caterers to include healthy options.  

If you have vending machines either remove them or ensure they are filled  with healthy snacks, ensure water is readily available and try to opt for healthy snacks, food and drink during meetings.

It is simple really. If employees are not eating a healthy diet and getting all the essential nutrients they need then they will end up feeling low in energy and will be unable to perform at their best. 

To find out more click here to listen to our recent webinar: How modern day nutrition is affecting your workforce

When the going gets tough the tough get going

As employers we rely on our people to succeed. Yes, we need a sound business offering – great products and services – but we also need great employees to deliver top services and develop innovative products.

Let's face it, in the current economic climate the large majority of organisations are operating with a relatively tight budget and a slimmed down workforce. So when the work picks up or large projects come in it is not uncommon for us to rely on our employees to have to pick up extra slack until we can justify the extra head count.

At times like this we need to be able to rely on our people to take a ‘can-do’ and ‘will-do’ approach and it is our strong and engaged employees that will work hard to meet this challenge.

Why? Because engaged employees value their organisations and therefore are generally more motivated to put in the extra effort and want to support the organisation when things get tough. However, they can only do this to the best of their ability if they are in good health and have the resilience skills to withstand pressure.

So if we are to rely on our employees to get going when things get tough or a little difficult we need to ensure that they are not only engaged but also healthy and able to withstand the pressure.

What does this mean in practice? Employee engagement does provide some of the answers in terms of motivating staff and improving performance but it doesn’t provide all of them. Employee wellbeing needs to be firmly on the agenda – organisations need to prioritise and invest in the health of their workforce, putting interventions in place to support their wellbeing.

Investing in the health of your staff is not only good for employee wellbeing but it is good for business. 

We must help our employees work more smartly

Reports suggest the pressure is on and an increasing workload has left 72 per cent of UK employees having to put in around ten hours extra a week without being compensated, according to recent research from Travelodge.

Whilst working hard is always good, long working hours is not always a good thing and does not necessarily mean an increase in productivity. In fact, long working hours can be counterproductive and have a negative impact on businesses, such as reduced productivity and poor performance.

The key to success is to work smartly. As employers and leaders we need to ensure that we put the right support in place in terms of training, tools and systems to help our employees work smartly.

This does not simply mean providing access to the right IT systems/technology and support functions but there other factors that impact on our effectiveness, such as time management.

Timothy Ferris, author of The 4 Hour Workweek, really put the concept of working smartly to the test when he went from working 80 hours per week to just 4 hours. He says, "By working only when you are most effective, life is both more productive and more enjoyable. It's the perfect example of having your cake and eating it, too."

Whilst Ferris has some critics what he really does emphasise is the need to work when you are at your optimum and to focus on the tasks that are going to add most value.

By helping our employees to prioritise tasks effectively, focusing on what will add most value to the business and giving them the skills to manage excess pressure/challenges when they arise we really have the opportunity to improve the effectiveness of our people.

This is not only good for our business, in terms of productivity etc, but it will also improve the wellbeing of our employees and this means improved employee engagement, a nicer working environment and so much more.

To find out how you can help you employees develop mind management practices to improve effectiveness in the workplace click here and sign up to my free 30 minute webinar.

Creating a healthy mind really can boost success

It’s not just famous athletes and celebrities that are reaping the success of mind management and meditation.

If you listen to any ‘great’ leader they attribute much of their success to having a healthy mindset and adopting the right attitude. Steve Jobs, Richard Branson and Bill Ford have all spoken about their use of meditation and the benefits associated with creating a healthy mindset.

Now, if we can get our employees to do the same then we are really onto a winner.

A healthy mind offers huge benefits to us as individuals in terms of increasing happiness, improving creativity and aiding weight loss etc. But it also offers huge benefits to our businesses.

People who manage their mind effectively are more successful at work because they have higher energy levels, are generally much healthier and they are able to handle with pressure more effectively.

Our research, of over 4,500 individuals, shows the large majority of people score just 42% on the key drivers of positive mind management. This highlights a huge opportunity for us as employers to improve performance within our businesses.

In today’s nonstop 24/7 digital world, we lead such busy lives and as a result our mind rarely stops thinking. Most people’s habits mean they are using technology non-stop from the minute they open their eyes to the minute they close them at night. This over stimulation of mind and body can drain energy and cause poor health, such as sleep problems and mental health fatigue.

By helping our employees to manage their mind effectively we can really improve performance. 

To find out how you can create healthy mind and body in the workplace click here and sign up to my free 30 minute webinar today.

This is taking place on Wednesday 15 May 2013, at 12pm 2013. I will cover:

- How supporting your employees' health & energy can improve business performance
- Why your staff need a healthy mind & body at work
- The 7 essential ingredients to create a healthy body
- Innovative mind management practices to improve performance
- Practical steps to improve the health & energy of your staff this summer

What are you doing to tackle sleep deprivation in your business?

Chronic sleep deprivation can do more than cause tiredness, it can have many negative effects. Employees with sleep problems may find it difficult to pay attention at work, struggle to remain alert and unable to concentrate.

But employees themselves aren’t the only ones suffering the consequences of sleepiness at work; it’s costing businesses money and, in some cases, may be putting the safety of others at risk.

Not only does a lack of sleep affect people’s health, which can cause an increase in sickness absence and have a negative impact on productivity, it can also be the cause of poor performance and injuries in the workplace.

Fact – sleep deprivation and poor quality sleep is not good for business. Clearly, it is a problem that needs to be addressed. Our research, of over 3,000 people finds the large majority of people score less than 50% on the drivers that help them achieve a good night’s sleep.

Although workers’ sleep habits are largely out of an employer’s control, businesses need to be aware of the effects of sleep deprivation and take a proactive approach to limit the impact of poor sleep, so that employees do their jobs more safely and efficiently.

There are companies, such as Google, that are taking action by providing sleep pods so employees who have to put in long hours sometimes or need to re-energise are allowed to take a power nap during their working day.

But it’s not just allocating enough time to sleep that determines how tired we feel or has an impact on performance, it’s also the ‘quality’ of sleep. And this is where education comes in. There are many factors that have an impact on the quality of sleep and these will depend on individual’s daily habits - only when we understand how to improve the quality of sleep can we improve it.
 

Whilst every workplace is different, there are a couple of simple steps that businesses can start with to limit the negative impact of sleep-deprivation:

1.     Help employees identify the problem

To help employees understand whether sleep is a problem area for them and understand how to start addressing this get them to complete our free online health and energy check. For more information about this check click here.

2.     Education

Forward thinking organisations, like eBay and TES Aviation, are taking a proactive approach and providing their staff with workshops where experts are on hand to offer sleep related advice. 

To mark National Sleep Awareness I am holding free 30-minute webinar focusing on the secret to great sleep in 2013.

This is being held on the 6 March 2013, at 12pm. Places are limited so you will need to register in advance – please click here for more information.

Within this webinar I will cover:

      - The benefits of great sleep
      - Why your habits are the key to your sleep
      - The top seven habits to avoid for great sleep
      - The top seven best habits for great sleep

3.     Culture of your organisation

Fatigue can affect more than the employee involved. It can create health and safety risks and have a negative impact on performance and productivity. It’s important to ensure you have the policies and procedures in place, within your organisation, so that employees are able to achieve a positive work-life balance and are able to take regular breaks throughout their working day to re-energise.

Smart computer use - it's up to employers to train their people

There is no doubt about it technology can really improve productivity. But for this to happen employees need to be using it smartly.

Our research, of over 2,000 employees, finds the large majority score just 55% on the key drivers of smart computer use. Given the amount of time we spend in front of our computer this is not good for business – not only is it putting employees at risk but also the business.

It’s up to us as employers to make sure our people understand how to stay healthy and energised at their computer.

Doing this properly will not only ensure we comply with the health & safety legislation but also reduce the risk of employees developing health related problems which is putting a strain on businesses, such as musculo-skeletal disorders and headaches.

Take action now - here are three simple steps to get you started:

1. Carry out workstation assessments – this is a legal requirement
A staggering 51% of employees surveyed are not set up with the correct seating and posture at their computer. By carrying out a workstation assessment you can make sure employees are following healthy workstation practices, and also ensure your company is complying with health and safety regulations. For more information click here.

2. Understand how to use computers smartly
I am holding a 30-minute live webinar to help you improve computer use in your organisation. Click here to register – places are limited.

This will help you ensure you comply with the legislation and identify ways to reduce the risk of employees developing musculo-skeletal disorders.

This is being held at 12pm, on the 19 February 2013. All attendees will receive a free factsheet on ‘how to stay healthy and energised at your computer’ to circulate to their employees.

3. Support employees
Make sure you have the policies and procedures in place within your organisation so that employees:
- Achieve the correct seated posture
- De-clutter - keep their workstation clutter free
- Are able to take regular breaks from their desk
- Drink water

Say goodbye to Blue Monday

Monday 21st January 2013 is apparently the most depressing day of the year, due to the combined effect of Christmas blues, lack of money, lack of natural sunlight, broken New Year resolutions and it being a Monday.

However, Blue Monday is only bad if you allow it to be. I challenge you to go against what some of the experts and say goodbye to Blue Monday. Make it a great day for you and everyone around you – your colleagues, friends and family.

By taking a positive approach to our daily tasks and challenges we really do have the opportunity to say goodbye to Blue Monday and make 2013 a fantastic year.

The key is to develop and maintain a healthy mindset. So, take today as an example – it is snowing heavily today and as a result a couple of people have cancelled meetings that I had scheduled. This could be seen as really negative but it’s just meant I’ve had to rearrange my day.

Yes, the snow causes some problems but it only falls occasionally here in London and it looks beautiful outside. Also, by rearranging my meetings I am able to use my time today to focus attention on other projects.

The key to happiness and success, both inside and outside the workplace, is to focus on developing a positive mindset.

Start doing this today. Surround yourself with people who energise you, start speaking more positively and consistently do more of the things that positively affect your health, energy and happiness.

Make 2013 your best year yet….

#AskOliver health Q&A session

I ran the first of my #AskOliver Twitter Q&A sessions last Friday and it was a great success!

I asked my Twitter followers to tweet their health and energy related questions using the hashtag #AskOliver and I logged onto Twitter to answer them, between 12-2pm. I received a variety of health and energy related questions and thought it would be helpful to write a short blog post to summarise them and share some of my tips.

@katemallett

Hi Oliver. I always have a 3pm slump. How do I combat this?

@Olivergray7

Make sure you include healthy protein (fish, chicken, tofu, lentils) in your lunch & Matcha tea is a great 3pm energiser

@GaylinJee     

Morning coffee at work - good 'energiser' to start the day? What's your view?

@Olivergray7 

Try to limit your caffeine.Matcha green tea is a much better option. Gives u an energy boost & won't leave you feeling low later

@VickieCollinge

How many breaks should you take from your computer screen during an average 8 hour working day?

@Olivergray7 

About 5 mins per hour, and a longer break from lunch, also regular fresh air breaks & back stretches helps to energise

@EmilyBPerry

Oliver, I use my mobile phone right up until I head to bed (midnight) - is this wise??

@Olivergray7

Not so wise ;) Start a new habit to improve sleep, avoid all technology an hour before bed, no TV, laptop, iPad & phone

@EmilyBPerry

Oliver, are short bursts of fitness (15mins) really as effective as longer sessions in the gym??

@Olivergray7

15 min workouts are great when you're time poor Mon-Fri & def as effective as longer sessions. Morning = max benefits

@RSMeintjes  

Hello @olivergray7 what is the best way to keep your energy levels up when at work? Snacking? Fresh air?

@Olivergray7

Fresh air breaks & lunch away from your computer is key + healthy breakfast & lunch with a mid afternoon fruit & nut snack

@RSMeintjes  

Having an afternoon energy slump. Your thoughts?

@Olivergray7 

It's a beautiful day for some fresh air energising lunch Sainsbury's local now do lentils pre-cooked, great with green salad 

@matilda501 

What's the best way to avoid food cravings e.g. sugar?

@Olivergray7 

Avoid refined processed foods, these are often high in sugar, the less sugar you eat the less you will crave. Try for 1 month

@Toxovic       

Why do I feel so full/sick when I eat small amount of eggs, then hungry soon after. Have to eat them in two sittings

@Olivergray7 

Maybe intolerant or the way you digest protein, this is likely to be the case if the same thing happens with other protein foods

@matilda501  

My job is community based, and stressful, not sure when to fit in exercise before or after work?

@Olivergray7

Exercise doesn't have to mean going to the gym @matilda501 - it could be walking to work

Do keep posting any questions on Twitter. You can contact me via @olivergray7 I am always up for interacting with people who are taking an interest in their health and energy levels!

What's your focus for 2013?

Traditionally December and January is a time when many people start thinking about what they want to achieve in the New Year.
 

This month all the staff here, at energiseYou, have picked an area that they want to focus on to improve their health, energy and happiness. Some of the team plan to eat more fruit, there’s Lily who is going to learn to cook and someone upping their marathon training.

This got me thinking about what I want to focus on in 2013. I’m already very proactive when it comes to nutrition and exercise so I started to think about other areas that will really help energise me – this led me to success and fun…

Why success? Having played professional tennis for four years and always being interested in sports I am naturally very competitive and love the thrill of a win. For me, losing is just not an option and this is why success is so important.

Why the fun? Whilst it is positive to have an objective in mind and a belief that you will achieve it the danger is that you become so focused on the end goal that you stop enjoying the journey. So, for me, this is where the focus on fun comes in.

It’s so important to enjoy work and our day to day activities. When we have fun and enjoy life we are more energised, more likely to achieve our goals, and we are naturally much happier.

All too often we take life and work too seriously, especially in the workplace. Yes, there are serious issues that will need my attention and yes there might be challenging moments but this doesn’t mean work can’t be fun.

By having fun along the way I know I will enjoy everything a bit more and hopefully those around me will too. So here is to a fun and successful 2013.

Some of the energiseYou team will be sharing updates on how they are doing with their new habits on Twitter @energiseyou and @olivergray7 and Facebook You can do the same – don’t forget #ENERGISEYOU

Employee wellbeing – make sure it’s more than a tick box exercise...

Our research, Health and wellbeing at work – where we are at and where we need to be, shows the large majority of employers have wellbeing on their agenda. However, many organisations don’t know where to start or what to do to really improve employee wellbeing and deliver return on investment for their business.

In addition to this, many professionals who are responsible for wellbeing are time poor and have budget restraints. This means welbeing often moves down their list of priorities.

I attended a recent conference focusing on employee wellbeing and two things stood out to me:

1. There are still some organisations that treat wellbeing as a tick box exercise

2. More can be done to deliver return on investment

Let me give you an example...

A senior HR Director talked about his approach to employee wellbeing. He was asked how he got buy-in from those at the top to provide employees with private medical insurance.

He said: “I’m lucky, I don’t have to get buy-in. The directors just get the need for it. They understand the importance of having people in work and therefore understand the need to help those who are off sick get back to work quickly, so I have never needed to make a business case.”

But he then went on to say private medical insurance is very rarely used and claims are very low because of the profile of their workforce.

There we have it. Private medical insurance is not adding real value to this organisation or its employees. In fact, the organisation is wasting thousands of pounds on a service that very few employees will ever need and very few will ever get to benefit from.

Challenge what has been done before
In order to deliver real change we need to move away from treating wellbeing as tickbox exercise or a standalone activity, it is something that needs to be threaded through all talent management activities and that really becomes part of the culture.

It is not enough to simply offer private medical insurance or hold one event or workshop. Only by understanding the challenges your people are facing, such as poor engagement and low energy, can you set your objectives. And these challenges change over time which is why what you offer needs to be reviewed regularly.

In order to influence those at the top and really improve employee wellbeing, HR need to focus on what’s best for employees and what will improve business health.  It is time to challenge what has always been done, review what people related initiatives are in place, start being innovative in our approach to employee wellbeing and not be afraid of change.

To listen to our October 2012 webinar, focusing on practical ways to tackle wellbein, please click here.
 
Please email emma.price@energiseyou.com for a copy of Health and wellbeing at work – where we are at and where we need to be.

The rules of engagement

High levels of employee engagement is what every business wants.

According to research, from the Best Companies, high levels of employee engagement help to create a more profitable business. This is because it drives performance by:
- Improving motivation so that staff go that extra mile for the business
- Inspiring employees to be the best they can be at work
- Giving clarity so staff understand the organisations objectives & priorities
- Achieving great staff retention and the ability to attract top talent

If we were able to wave a magic wand to create a highly engaged workforce I’m sure most business leaders and HR professionals would take it. But sadly there’s not. As leaders we need to work hard to create a positive work environment where employees feel valued, where they are driven by what they do and able to perform at their best.

There is lots of employee focused research that has been carried out to investigate what creates an engaged workforce and what helps attract, retain and motivate workers. This all shows we are not simply driven by large salaries and job security. Our needs go much further, beyond just our material needs, and they become quite physical and emotional.

Wayne Clarke, International Partner, Best Companies Partnership says, “One of the most important things in achieving strong levels of employee engagement is the relationship between employees and their line manager – people join organisations, but they leave managers. Managers need to focus on providing direction and this means good communication.”

Think about a time when you have produced your best work or performed at your best. How did you feel? What type of environment were you working in? How did you feel about your employer and manager? Did you feel healthy, happy and energised? When we are able to meet our employees material needs and also make sure they feel valued then they are far more likely to put in extra work.

Employees want to know that their employers care about them. They want to be recognised for their work and feel valued, which is why the role of managers is so important – click here to read my earlier blog, which focuses on the role of line managers.

Wellbeing is very important. Wayne says, “Effective managers not only offer clarity for what is expected from their employees but they treat them as individuals, with fairness and respect and with a concern for their wellbeing.

"We know that when employees feel that they are fairly treated and looked after, in terms of their health and wellbeing, that they are much more engaged and far more likely to put in the extra effort when needed.”

As a business leader myself, I want my employees to be committed, feel motivated by their work, be passionate about what they do and able to perform at their best. This means listening to employees so that I can:
1. Understand what is most important to them
2. Identify any potential problems so that interventions can be put in place
3. Create a culture where employees are able to perform at their best

We know from our work with some of the best companies that they remain successful because they stay close to their people and have open communication. They listen to employees so that get a good understanding of their needs and by doing so they are able to create a culture where their staff are happy, energised and able to perform at their best.

Employee wellbeing – where do line managers fit in?

More and more organisations are taking action when it comes to improving employee health and wellbeing but in order to achieve real return on investment it is critical for line managers to play their part. In this blog I discuss the role of line managers in improving the health and wellbeing of employees - this first appeared on Edenred.com.

We know from our experience of working with some of the UK’s top brands that by taking a proactive approach to the health and energy of employees, organisations can really improve wellbeing which in turn helps increase the company’s profits.

But to succeed, and achieve real return on investment, the culture of the organisation needs to be one that embraces wellbeing - this is where line managers come in. Managers can really help create the positive organisational culture that is required to really achieve a healthy, energised, high performing workforce.

Here are five things areas to consider when thinking about the role of line managers in employee wellbeing:

1) Direction, motivation and challenge
It is important for line managers to give clarity about the vision of the business and business objectives, and make sure employees understand how their individual objectives fit in. A little pressure can be a good thing. It is up to line managers to get the balance right, making sure staff feel stretched and are motivated by their objectives but not feeling overwhelmed and unable to handle the pressure.

2) Good communication
Research from Best Companies highlights the importance of good communication in achieving high levels of employee wellbeing and engagement. The most effective way to improve communication is through conversation and this is where line managers come in. It is important for team members to feel that they trust their line manager and can have an open and honest relationship. Managers who listen to and are open to receiving feedback and maintain an open channel of communication will naturally become aware of problems more quickly and this will enable them to fix them much sooner.

3) Spot the warning signs
Managers need to work closely with their team to ensure they are working to realistic deadlines and have a manageable workload. There will be times when individuals themselves are unable to spot early warning signs and this is where line managers come in. Are employees unable to cope with the pressure? Do they appear to lack energy? Is morale low? Are engagement levels changing? Is someone working too many hours? Managers need to be close enough to their team to spot potential problems. Only then will they be able to intervene and provide the support required.

4) Address the warning signs
Fail to address these warning signs and the business will suffer. Sometimes it will be as simple as a manager taking their team member to one side and discussing the issue and other times it maybe more complex. It is important to ensure line managers understand how to deal with problems when they spot them and what processes are in place to support their employees.

5) Employee recognition
It is important to give recognition to employees when they do a good job. By treating employees well and giving them recognition they are far more likely to be happy, motivated and engaged in their job and as a result pass on the positivity to customer, clients and colleagues thereby maintaining a positive corporate culture.

What we can learn from our Olympic team for workplace performance

What a fantastic Olympics – it really is inspiring to see Great Britain (GB) scooping so many medals! The coaches and the wider GB team have clearly put everything into helping our athletes reach their peak.

This got me thinking about what we, as employers, can learn from our Olympic team for workplace performance...

I saw a really inspiring interview with David Brailsford, Performance Director of the Great Britain cycling team, whose team won eight out of 10 track cycling gold medals in London. He attributes four key things to their success:

1. Talented athletes
2. Hard working athletes
3. Set a specific goal
4. Make a list of all the elements that impact on the success of your goal and work on improving each element

Brailsford refers to the different elements as ‘marginal gains’. He says that if you break down everything that goes into achieving that goal and improve each element by 1%, you will get a significant increase when you put them all together.

He focused on obvious things like fitness and conditioning, the technology of the bike and clothing, but also other things like sleeping in the right position and having the same pillow when athletes are away and training in different places. Brailsford said, “They're tiny things but if you clump them together it makes a big difference to performance”.

The GB cycling team used experts in each area to help achieve these marginal gains; technology experts to improve the performance of the bike and sleep experts to ensure athletes got sufficient sleep.

Every aspect of preparation for the cycling has been meticulous. The medals are not a fluke. It’s the preparation, hard work and talent – talented athletes, talented coaches and other talented experts in each of the marginal gain areas – that has led to success.

The formula should be no different for businesses – we need to ensure we have talented people who are working hard. We also need a clear goal and by breaking this goal down we can identify and improve the different elements to ensure success. One of these elements has to be achieving a healthy, energised and engaged workforce.

I am not suggesting that we buy all of our employees a comfortable pillow, but by educating them about the simple changes they need to make to improve their health, energy and performance we have a real opportunity to help them maximise energy, improve their performance and increase business profits.

Click here to listen to our August 2012 webinar. This focused on how you can use the Olympics to inspire your workforce, drive business performance and get your employees to focus on gold.