By Brady George, managing director of facilities management business Almeda.
For many employees who work in an office, sitting stationary for long periods of time can be tedious. But recent research highlighting the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle reveals the effects of a 9-to-5 day on employees’ physical and mental health are worse than we thought.
The report in the respected UK medical journal The Lancet shows sedentary lifestyles now pose as great a threat to public health as smoking and cause more deaths than obesity. 
It is recommended that workers who spend several hours at their desk should change their routine to include a five-minute break every hour as well as taking exercise at lunchtimes and evenings.
The Lancet says an hour of brisk walking or cycling spread over a day is enough to combat the dangers of eight hours sitting in the office – and we all know that this has positive effects on reducing stress levels too.
Current public health advice recommends just half this level of activity, yet almost half of women and a third of men fail to even achieve this – and long hours at the office are a contributing factor.
It’s not just a lack of exercise that is harming office employee health. Stress levels and poor diets can lead to a number of problems that can be detrimental to individuals.
Many office settings take a one size fits all approach to employee mental and physical health, but the reality is employees need a tailored approach to combat these issues.
Creating an environment that accommodates different employee preferences and working habits makes good business sense – employees are engaged and productivity increases.
The physical and mental health of staff is something that Almeda takes very seriously, while offering tailor-made and bespoke services is fundamental. Almeda truly believes in its responsibility to its workforce, ensuring that every individual is healthy, happy and fulfilled.
We have taken drastic steps to encourage staff to be more active and foster a harmonious work-life balance. We offer daily fresh fruit and vegetables sourced from local and ethical suppliers such as Fresh Range and the social enterprise The Severn Project. Free juices and smoothies are available to everyone, made fresh by the juicer in the office.
We also encourage staff to participate in growing fruit and vegetables on our onsite allotment, giving a major boost to both mental and physical health. We’re also investigating installing hydroponics in the office to deliver further opportunities to grow fresh and healthy produce.
Plans are underway to install a cycle-to-work scheme at Almeda, promoting further physical activity to all staff, further reducing negative effects associated with a sedentary office-based environment.
Last year we invested thousands of pounds to send the senior management team to Cranfield Business School. Every staff member is given the opportunity for both personal and professional development. This is a big statement from Almeda as a business as to the importance we place on wellbeing; continual self-growth is a huge part of fulfilment.
Almeda is also taking drastic steps to remove the stigma around mental wellness. We are developing a wellbeing programme that will promote a variety of relaxation classes to staff, including free weekly meditation, yoga and reiki sessions.
But businesses also have a responsibility to the community. Almeda has forged links with local charities, where staff volunteer, including LinkAge, which combats loneliness and isolation among people over the age of 55. It is Almeda’s belief that good business should generate social outcomes.
For Almeda, it’s all about creating a shift in attitude that will lead to long-lasting impact and creating a legacy of which everybody can be proud.
