WORKPLACE HEALTH INDEX 2011

Are Australian companies and employees moving in the right direction when it comes to workplace wellness? 

With all those Apples and Blackberries dominating desks, briefcases and pockets you would think the Australian workplace is healthy. But according to a major new survey, if we were consuming anything like the quantity of Apples and Blackberries we are using, our workplace would be a whole lot healthier and more productive. 

The survey, conducted by the Fruit at Work 2011 National Workplace Health Index, was designed to gain a picture of employees’ attitudes to workplace health and habits. The results place a clear onus on businesses to provide healthier environments.

• The survey was conducted with a random sample of over 500 Australians nationwide with 53% female and 47% male aged 18-45+.
• Those surveyed were predominantly white collar workers with almost 70% in full time work and the remainder in part time or casual roles.
• About a third (32.1%) of those surveyed reside in NSW, 24.1% in VIC, 19.8% in QLD and the remainder in WA, SA, NT and TAS.

Snapshot of Findings

A healthy workplace is a priority

•  79.5% of respondents would rather be employed by someone who provides healthy living programmes and/or support.  Of these,  29.9% said they would definitely make an employer “one of choice” if they offered these programmes.
• 87.2% of respondents declared their workplace to be of only average health or pretty poor.
• 83.5% declared their overall health and wellbeing as being okay or could be better.

Naughty workplace eating habits

• Respondents are sitting down on average for 7 hours a day at work.
• 56.3% of those surveyed devour junk food during the mid afternoon slump and a further 19.4% if they have to work late.
• 64.7% somewhat or definitely blame a lapse of healthy eating habits on being stressed.
• 60.8% blame a lack of healthy food options near work, or not having enough time to pack a healthy lunch, as their reason for eating unhealthily.
• 45% are influenced by their co-workers’ naughty eating habits.

Fruit at Work

• Only 31.2% of respondents eat the recommended two servings of fruit per day.
• 26.6% don’t eat fruit at all.
• 57.9% failed to identify the correct servings of fruit for an adult everyday