6 Simple Steps Towards Employee Wellness In The Food and Beverage Industry

Achieving employee health and wellness has become a necessity at the organizational level for every industry including the Food and Beverages industry.

Employee wellness programs refer to worksite wellness programs for employee's well-being. It is a collection of initiatives that an organization promotes for healthy lifestyles among employees.

It attracts a pool of talents who prefer a healthy and productive work-life. A happy working life includes; balanced diet, physical activity, and a positive environment.

Studies have shown, 80% of employees at companies with robust health and wellness programs show increased employee engagement and receive care from employers.
Besides, healthy and happy employees play a significant role in taking the company towards success.

Why does the Food and Beverage industry need Health and Wellness Solutions?

The food and beverage industry is one of the most intense industries. It demands both physical and mental exertion. Although the F&B industry is developing in recent times, employee retention poses a serious threat. Thus, employee wellness programs can be of great help.

With people getting engaged in outdoor activities or work and finding less time cooking at home, eating in restaurants and hotels has become more convenient. The epicurean taste buds have increased the hype of trying new and exotic cuisines. As a result, restaurants and cafés have become a favorite place to go today!

The F&B industry of the world is developing due to this incredible shift in lifestyle. And it has made the whole process of binge-eating one of the rages.
However, in recent times, people are getting more health-conscious and prefer mindful eating. Thus, there is a paradigm shift in the whole F&B industry scenario.

As a result, this change is bringing many other developments to the concerned industry and its employees.

Read: 101 Health and Wellness Quotes to Inspire Wellness at the Workplace

6 Health and Wellness Tips For Employees In F&B Industry

Here is a list of 'easy and essential' employee wellness tips that the F&B industry must implement.

1.Encourage healthy eating habits

Unhealthy snacks during work hours like chocolate, sweets, chips, and soda can harm employees' health. Often the employees indulged in the F&B industry overlook their food habits and intakes.

The industry must offer their staff some healthy and nutritious meal options, ranging from:

• Detox waters
• Protein bars
• Low-calorie healthy snacks
• Healthy juices and smoothies
• Fresh fruits and salads
• Vegan treats, etc., can be thoughtful.

Also read - Water Challenge: A Step towards a Healthy Lifestyle

A switch to a healthier lifestyle in the workplace can revitalize an employee's body and mind. It can also reduce stress and fatigue. In addition, it can contribute to excellent work accomplishments.

2. Practicing Mindfulness Meditation at work

Mindfulness meditation teaches one how to be present at the moment. An ancient Buddhist technique that combines concentration with awareness; intensifies observational and listening skills.

Read: 105 Mindfulness Quotes For Employees Health And Wellness

It involves breathing techniques and exercises that help you to relax and stay calm in stressful situations. Also, it allows employees to flush out their negative thoughts and helps in dealing with workplace stress or anxiety.

Know more about: Mindfulness Meditation: Why To Practice At Work?

3. Weekend Getaways

Even companies like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, etc., arrange outdoor engagement activities for their employees.

Every employee needs a break from the traditional kitchen settings, tables, and customers in the food and beverage industry. Thus, organizing outdoor activities can contribute to more productivity and team spirit. It can allow employees to look into the aspect of overall health and wellness.

The benefits of performing such activities are that they create a hustle in mind to learn, perform and complete the tasks under pressure. It can be hiking, trekking, and cycling, or any such activities.
Employees often prefer to take a break to engage with the outside world and practice activities that will keep them strong and ahead of time.

And, performing outdoor activities with your team can be fun. The ultimate benefit of organizing outdoor activities will also solve employee retention problems in the long run.

4. Wellness App

It is often found that those who take care of their customer's food and mood are not being taken care of.

Luckily in the 21st century, there is an app for everything.
Vantage Fit offers a platform to improve the health and wellness of your employees. Any physical activity, including counting steps, water intakes, participating in a fitness challenge, or a team walkathon, Vantage Fit is your one-stop solution.

It can also;

• Help you make excellent and nutritious food choices
• Keep track of your daily activities, e.g., calories, fats, sugar, etc
• Track mood for mental and behavioral health
• Offer daily exercise routine tips and motivation
• Measure heart rates and log activities; book reading, meditation, hiking, swimming, etc

Want to know more about Behavioral Health. Check out this article!

5. Fill your workspace with compassion and positive thinking

One well-known experiment at Harvard University by David McClelland showed a film on Mother Teresa working for the sick and needy. Later, the students reported that the film stimulated compassion and kindness. It also increased immunoglobulin-A, which is an antibody that fights respiratory infections.

That is why it is essential to think positively about enhancing health and psychological well-being in a labor-intensive industry.
Employees in the F&B industry tend to be more physically engaged and get less time for themselves. So, it is vital to introduce workplace wellness initiatives for their mental and behavioral health.

Employers can start with;

• Creating a break-room for the staffs
• Air-purifying plants based room
• Workplace wellness programs
• Heath and wellness- perk and benefits
• Arranging laughter club programs
• Free food volunteering for those in the street
• Free-counselling or telehealth programs to overcome anxiety and depression
• Tickets to music shows or sports leagues
• Encourage them for social media detox and engage in real-time activities

Therefore, developing the feeling of compassion and kindness is essential at the organizational level.

Also Read: 21 Ideas For Positive Thinking At Work

6. Celebrating achievements

Celebrating achievements is one of the best ways to encourage your employees.
Also, ensure that you recognize your employees on a public platform and allow them to share their thoughts as well. Doing so will boost employees' confidence at the personal level.

Celebrating achievements will promote work culture and a healthy work environment, like work anniversaries or promotions-related celebrations.

Another way to do so is to celebrate birthdays, greet them, and post cards on public platforms. It leaves behind a message that everyone at the workplace cares about each other.

Rewarding your employees and recognizing them for what they do to keep your customers satisfied is a grace. Such small steps and actions can be thoughtful. However, keeping your employees happy should be the topmost priority.

Want to know more. Check out this article on Food and Beverage Industry!

Bottom Line

We can conclude that taking up reasonable steps towards employee's health and wellness will reduce many problems in the Food and Beverage sector.

Excellent workers don't face any trouble finding well-paid jobs. So, enticing them is the most important factor; you need to incorporate better wellness programs.

We always prefer to dine in a place where the employees are more compliant and courteous. Thus, employees love to work in a place where employers promise them a healthy lifestyle and robust work environment.

To know more, check out our Corporate Wellness Guide.