Public Servant Lifestyle

A new study reveals that 48% of workers think they would eat more healthily if they worked at home - 17% say their current work diet is 'very unhealthy' & more than two thirds are prone to snacking.

The findings reveal that almost one in two workers think they would eat more healthily if they worked from home, whilst 17% admit to having a very unhealthy diet at work. The research - commissioned by voice and data solutions and services provider Sterry Communications - questioned office based personnel on their eating habits at work and how these might change if they worked from home.

SADs: Stuck At Desks

One of the key findings was that the majority of workers, 96%, tend to eat lunch at their desks at least once at week, whilst 42% said they are desk bound for lunch every day. Just 4% of respondents said they never ate it at their desks. Comparatively, almost two thirds of those questioned said they would be more inclined to take a proper lunch break if they worked from home.

In addition, 62% of those questioned admitted to being prone to snacking when at work. The main reason for this was due to hunger (36%), but a quarter said that it was due to peer pressure and blamed work colleagues for buying and offering around sweets and cakes in the office. 17% also cited boredom as a snack driver. The favourite snacking foods were identified as crisps and biscuits, with 24% and 23% of respondents saying this, respectively. This was closely followed by a more healthy option of fruit, with 17%.

As well as health benefits, respondents also thought they would be able to make financial savings on food if they worked from home. 61% of respondents said they currently bought their lunch every day, with 31% spending between £3 and £4 a day. In contrast, a third of respondents said they could potentially save between £1 and £2 every day on lunch, if they worked at home.

"The results of our survey show that home workers could enjoy a healthier diet to those that are office based," says Sterry's John Fox. "This could be because of the food options that are available when at home, whereas office employees often rely on food outlets near their place of work.

Practicality

"Of course, home working is not a practicality for all businesses or places of work, but we believe that due to the health benefits that can be derived, both in terms of diet and work-life balance, it is something that employers should look at seriously. It is also important for companies to try and ensure employees are not always eating at their desks and to encourage them to take their full lunch break, this in turn can improve productivity."

Although 71% of respondents said that their work diet was quite healthy, 65% said they were looking to change or improve their eating habits at work to lose weight. Respondents also cited their reasons for wanting to work from home, with most opting for a less stressful commute or more time for personal activities, both with 31%. Other reasons were more time with the family (21%) and more time for gym/sports clubs (17%).

More information available in Home Working, Eating In, Naughty But Nice, Commuting, Work Life Balance, Family & Personal