ARAMARK has a growing reputation for delivering delicious, nutritious foodservice for its clients; but, as part of its corporate responsibility programme, it's demonstrating an ongoing commitment to employees’ wellbeing too.
In the pilot of a health awareness partnership with the Flora brand team at Unilever Foodsolutions, staff at ARAMARK’s Leeds office were invited to take part in workplace lifestyle consultations with a team of specialist nurses, who gave advice and information to help them make diet and lifestyle improvements.
During the 15-minute session, employees had their cholesterol, body mass index and blood pressure measured, as well as being asked about their food consumption patterns, their general activity levels and other health indicators such as alcohol intake and smoking.
The initiative is an example of the work being done by Business Action on Health (BAH), part of the Business in the Community (BITC) organisation, which campaigns to highlight the business benefits of better health at work.
ARAMARK’s Corporate Responsibility Director, Val Carter, who sits on the campaign’s leadership team says: 'Looking after our employees' wellbeing is a priority, and our links with BAH are helping us to find more effective, sustainable ways to do that. We were delighted to join forces with the Flora brand team at Unilever Foodsolutions who sponsored this important pilot event.'
The nursing team was fully booked for the entire two-day pilot and staff were grateful for the opportunity to learn more about their health. 'I had a cholesterol check a few years ago but I’m not sure when I would have got round to booking another one,’ said Christine Walton, PA. 'It's handy to have it here in the workplace and the consultation was very straightforward.'
Kirsty Cope, Purchasing Helpdesk Manager, also found the session reassuring. 'It was really interesting and my overall scores were healthy, which was a bonus. I exercise regularly and drink plenty of water but it's great to have a professional telling you you’re basically on the right lines.'
'We get a lot of buy-in from these consultations and try to keep the advice realistic and achievable,' said Susan Gregory, UK Marketing Director for Unilever Foodsolutions. 'If someone is generally healthy the nurses just offer tips and tweaks on diet and exercise. If their cholesterol or any other score is too high they give them a letter for their GP indicating their results to ensure continuity of care.'
'These consultations aren’t a box-ticking exercise,' said Val. 'They’re about showing our teams in practical, sustainable ways that we care about their health and wellbeing. This in turn helps them take responsibility for their lifestyle, which includes, and can affect, their performance at work.'
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