Workplace health: Work Ready

Work Ready is the answer to your workplace health and nutrition needs. Read on if you want to improve your workers' health and wellbeing.

What is Work Ready?

Work Ready is a programme to help keep your workforce healthy and well at work. We create needs-based nutrition programmes for your workers. This will improve their resilience, wellbeing and productivity.

How it works

A Work Ready dietitian will come to your workplace. A dietitian is a specialist who gives people advice on food, health and nutrition. Your dietitian will ask what you want and identify what you need. They will deliver a bespoke programme, review its success and suggest next steps.

Ask what you want	I will call you so we can talk about why you want a nutrition programme for your workforce.
Identify what you need	I will work out how to improve their wellbeing. I will do this by visiting your organisation to: understand the workers and the work environment do a needs assessment with your workers review your existing workplace health programme meet with the occupational health or health and well-being staff speak to staff champions (if you have them) look at food and drink provision review your policies which impact on wellbeing
Design and deliver a unique programme	I will suggest where to start and run your Work Ready programme. This could be: a single workshop for small groups a food demonstration putting healthy options in vending machines establishing regular rest and drink breaks It could also be a combination of things running side-by-side or one after the other.
Review its success	I will evaluate the programme using tools such as talking, questionnaires and polls and share the impact with you.
Point out the next area to work on	We can work together to build on the programme or put plans in place for future impact. I can also help you plan for workplace health awards and other schemes.

Why choose Work Ready?

Being healthy means you can do the best possible job at work. This is essential to maintain productivity in a global marketplace. Workers in different sectors do different activities. They have different pressures on their bodies, minds and time. Because of these differences, we have tailored our programme to different employment sectors. You can download handy sector-specific leaflets that highlight some of the specific obstacles to healthier eating and drinking workers face, with key research linked to these issues.

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Already doing it?

Brilliant! You have a workforce wellness scheme in your company. And your staff have bought in to the concept of healthy lives being working lives. But are you maximising your results? Is your plan tailored to your unique workforce? And importantly, has it been designed by dietitians? If the answer is no then Work Ready can help.

Your Work Ready dietitian will visit your organisation and find out what you need. They will work with your existing team and run a tailor-made Work Ready programme. Email [email protected]

What’s next?

Want to start Work Ready or just want to find out more? Fill out the form below and one of our Work Ready dietitians will be in touch.

What people say

We have done our research, created this great product, and we know that Work Ready works. But don’t just take our word for it! Read on for recommendations from employers and staff who have worked with our dietitians on wellbeing initiatives across the UK. Be inspired!

The Work Ready team were very flexible and worked with our department to understand our needs to create a tailored programme for our Virtual Away Day.

The facilitators were all engaging, knowledgeable and were able to give staff a better understanding of their wellbeing.

The cook-along sessions were really enjoyable, easy to follow and allowed staff to come away with a number of brilliant techniques like how to include the whole family.

Wellbeing Team, University College London

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Work Ready in your sector

Can’t see your industry listed? Don’t worry, we are experts and tailor our approach to every individual case – these are just a sample. Contact us and one of our Work Ready dietitians will be in touch.

Communication and utilities

Healthier eating and drinking choices can help workers who may need to manage:

long periods of activity including driving
limited access to places for food breaks when off-site
poor access to food preparation and storage facilities
working different shifts or alone

The research

Even mild dehydration can have a negative impact on your brain. This includes reduced concentration and alertness to changes in mood. One study found that drivers who had not drank enough made two times more mistakes than those who were hydrated.

Construction and engineering

Healthier eating and drinking choices can help workers who may need to manage:

concentration levels to maintain safety
limited access to food preparation facilities
poor access to healthier choices in remote sites
high energy needs
working different shifts
travelling long distances

The research

Shift workers are more likely to develop obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. This is linked to increased snacking, lack of time and a lack of preferred food options at work.

We have seen employees change their eating and snacking habits after attending a food demo session. They tell us they are still making some recipes years later! We show how to make healthier meals and snacks in minutes using minimal equipment.

Health and social care

Healthier eating and drinking choices can help workers who may need to manage:

concentration levels to maintain safety
limited access to healthier choices
working in warm environments with poor access to fluids
short or no breaks with limited time to eat and drink
a high-pressure environment
working different shifts or alone

The research

Hospital staff could be at greater risk of dehydration due their environment. This includes:

the air conditioning
heat
long busy shifts
limited breaks
not being able to drink when with patients

Studies show that your thinking, learning and short-term memory are affected by regular eating and drinking.

Hospitality and food services

Healthier eating and drinking choices can help workers who may need to manage:

working different shifts
concentration levels to maintain safety and customer satisfaction
standing for long periods of time
short or no breaks with limited time to eat and drink
working in warm environments
using subsidised canteens with limited or no healthy options
motivating a workforce with high staff turnover

The research

Shift workers are more likely to develop obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. This is linked to increased snacking, lack of time and a lack of preferred food options at work.

Office and home-based

Healthier eating and drinking choices can help workers who may need to manage:

short or no breaks with limited time to eat and drink
long periods of sitting
limited access to healthier choices
high-pressure environments
travelling regularly for work

The research

Workplace nutrition programmes targeting healthy eating improve diet and weight loss for office-based workers.

Response and emergency services

Healthier eating and drinking choices can help workers who may need to manage:

concentration levels to maintain safety
limited or no access to healthier choices
working different shifts
short or no breaks with limited time to eat and drink
high-pressure environments

The research

Our work with prison staff showed a high number of participants used what they had learnt to make positive changes to their diets. They took simple steps to improve their health and wellbeing at work.

Retail and warehouse

Healthier eating and drinking choices can help workers who may need to manage:

standing for long periods of time
short or no breaks with limited time to eat and drink
working in warm environments
using subsidised canteens with limited or no healthy options
working different shifts
motivating a workforce with high staff turnover

The research

Shift workers are more likely to develop obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. This is linked to increased snacking, lack of time and a lack of preferred food options at work.

Teaching and education

Industry leaflet For employers in education

Healthier eating and drinking choices can help teachers and assistants who may need to manage:

concentration levels
working long hours
short or no breaks with limited time to eat and drink
standing for long periods of time

The research

A study looked at programmes to prevent weight-gain in the school workplace. The programmes focused on nutrition and physical activity. Both weight and body mass index (BMI) dropped. In the nutrition activities there was stable or increased taking-part.

Our work in higher education settings has shown healthier staff perform more effectively. This benefits the worker and the wider workplace.

Transport

Healthier eating and drinking choices can help workers in transport who may need to manage:

concentration levels to maintain safety
working different shifts
limited access to healthy meal, snack and drink choices
staying hydrated with poor access to toilets
working alone

The research

A study showed that even mild dehydration can have a negative impact on mental functions. This includes reduced focus to changes in mood. Lab simulator tests found that dehydrated drivers made two times more mistakes than hydrated drivers.

Research to prevent obesity in transit workers bought more and lowered the price of healthy vending machines. Group behaviour programmes were also looked at. The results showed workers ate fewer calories and more fruit and vegetables.