Most of us know that eating fruit on a regular basis can improve a person’s health in a myriad of ways, but not everyone is aware of the significant benefits it can bring to businesses. From increased productivity and raised morale to enhancing employees overall physical and mental health, fruit is a brilliant and cost-effective solution to help get the most out of your workforce.
In fact, a survey carried out by British Summer Fruits revealed that 50% of UK workers believe their mood, productivity and stress levels would improve if their employees provided free fruit within the workplace.
Here at Gogo Fruit Baskets, we’ve rounded up 5 amazing benefits of incorporating fruit into the office environment. Our services don’t end there either, we also offer an extensive range of fresh and high-quality corporate fruit baskets with a fantastic variety of fruits such as plums, kiwis and other delicious exotic fruits.
5 Amazing Benefits of Fruit in the Workplace
1. Increased Alertness & Productivity
A healthy workforce equals a productive workforce. A lack of essential nutrients in a person’s diet, coupled with spending long hours sitting behind a desk can interfere with their ability to concentrate and focus on tasks within the workplace. However, natural sugars found in fruits such as oranges can enhance alertness and provide a short term boost in memory. Research also indicates that blueberries may also be effective in improving or delaying short term memory loss.
“For a company to perform well as an organization, it needs healthy people, and the fewer healthy people you have, the worse your business outcomes” - Dr. Nicolaas Pronk
Companies that offer fresh fruit as a snack in the office have a more productive workforce. Research from Rand Europe revealed that employees who are in good physical health are 20% more productive than those in poor health.
2. Improves Employees’ Health & Well Being
An apple a day keeps the doctor away! Findings from this data also indicated that on average, 38 working days were lost by each employee in 2019 too. Regularly consuming fruit can help lower the number of working days lost to ill health.
Fruits are jam packed with vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C and potassium. Vitamin C helps the growth, development and repair of all body tissues and maintains the proper functioning of the immune system to help combat viral infectious diseases, such as the common cold.
Fruits can also reduce the risk of developing serious long term health effects, such as cardiovascular diseases, some types of cancer and strokes.
It pays to be healthy, literally. A study by Vitality estimates that ill-health related absences in the workplace cost British businesses and the economy an estimated £91.1 billion in 2019. These staggering figures highlight the importance of investing in the physical and mental wellbeing of employees to ensure the safeguarding of companies' overall productivity.
3. Boosts Office Morale
If you’re looking to raise office morale, then fruit may be the solution for you! Research from Oxford University has found a conclusive link between happiness and productivity. On average, happy workers are 13% more productive than their discontented colleagues.
The inclusion of fruit in the office can foster a more relaxed and happier work environment. In fact, a survey carried out by British Fruits found that 55% of UK workers feel in a better mood when they eat healthily. In general, people who eat fruit and vegetables regularly tend to have a more positive outlook, are more efficient and are less likely to suffer psychological distress than those who do not eat vegetables on a regular basis.
4. Reduces Stress
Did you know that 1 in 4 UK employees regard their job as the number one stressor in their lives? Stress can cause physical and mental health issues and can affect a person’s energy levels, mental alertness, wellbeing and personal and professional relationships. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that an overly stressful work environment can lead to a high turnover rate which is detrimental to a company's productivity.
The implementation of fruit within the workplace may not solve the underlying causes of a company’s stress, but it can help to alleviate the stress and anxiety within the office. Studies have shown that Employees who eat at least one piece of fruit per day have lower levels of cortisol, which is associated with stress and lethargy, meaning they’re more alert and productive.
5. Cost Effective
As mentioned in the points above, fruit snacks have a myriad of physical and mental health benefits and can positively contribute to a workplace’ productivity. Another great benefit of having fruit in the office is that it is a low-cost and healthy alternative to other sugary snacks.
A study conducted by British Summer Fruits revealed that 33% of UK workers snack during meetings only because the food is placed right in front of them. Swapping sugary snacks with fruit can be a tasty yet inexpensive way of maintaining or improving employees’ health and can help encourage people to adopt a healthier lifestyle outside the office.
So there we go, that concludes our round up of the amazing benefits of fruit within the office environment. Feeling fruity? extensive range of fresh and high-quality corporate fruit baskets with a fantastic variety of fruits such as plums, kiwis and other delicious exotic fruits.
