According to British Heart Foundation, around 7.6 million people are living with a heart or circulatory disease in the UK. With this in mind, here are five things you can do to protect the heart health of your staff.
According to the British Heart Foundation, coronary heart disease (also known as CHD) is one of the leading causes of death in the UK, accounting for around 66,000 deaths annually. It is a common type of heart and circulatory disease that is caused by a build-up of fatty substances in blood vessels.
Employers can help to reduce risk factors of CHD by promoting healthy lifestyle habits in the workplace. This proactive measure may also support those who have been absent from work due to a heart condition to return faster.
Lifestyle factors have a direct link to CHD, but adopting healthier lifestyle habits can help to reduce risks of CHD across your employees. Typical modifications would involve being physically active, giving up smoking, and eating a healthy balanced diet.
Since the pandemic, there are more people working hybrid or from home – which may mean they are sitting for longer periods of time without moving or standing up. One study found that people who sit the most (compared to people who sit the least) are at greater risk of disease and death.
These findings present an opportunity for employees to support staff to try and make healthy improvements to their lifestyle. Which, in turn, is a proactive measure to keeping employees healthier and in employment for longer.
5 things you can do to support your employees and their heart health
1. Promote healthy eating
According to a number of studies, consuming a greater quantity of fruits and vegetables significantly lowers the probability of developing cardiovascular disease. With this in mind, you could invite employees to bring in healthy foods for an office lunch buffet, or even organise a healthy baking competition.
If it’s possible, another step to consider is providing healthy snacks around the workplace free of charge (fruits, vegetables, unsalted nuts, dark chocolate, etc.). If you have a canteen, why not have a review of the healthy options on offer? Reviewing the stock in vending machines is another idea to help make it easy for onsite employees to grab a healthy snack.
2. Encourage employees to have a decent lunch break
Research conducted by the British Heart Foundation found that one in five (20%) employees do not take a lunch break.
Try to visibly encourage staff to take their lunch break. This could include line managers setting an example or through educating about the benefits it can bring as part of your internal communications.
Sharing the benefits of keeping active may also help encourage staff to exercise on their lunch break – which can help them to manage stress and boost energy levels. Even a walk outside in the fresh air can help your staff to move their body and return to work feeling refreshed ready for the next part of their shift.
3. Consider using staff benefits to help
Make it easier for employees to adopt healthier lifestyles by giving them access to tools and perks related to health and wellbeing.
Things like discounted gym memberships and discounted healthy meals in staff canteens are some examples. Another could be a company step challenge, where staff can track progress and work together as a team to achieve a collective amount of steps in a given amount of time.
Lastly, you could recognise and reward employees who have made positive adjustments to their health. This can be accomplished through the use of incentive reward programmes.
4. Take a preventative approach to employee health
Organisations need to encourage individuals to think ‘more long-term’ about their health. Consider putting a staff wellness strategy in together aligned to goals you want to achieve. For example, if 70% of staff have high blood pressure, run targeted campaigns to address and improve these specific areas. This is a great chance to educate staff on heart health while helping to reduce risk factors.
Occupational health can support you to take a preventative approach to employee health and wellbeing. Health assessments and surveillance enable you to understand the risks across your workforce and concentrate efforts on the areas that need it most.
Taking this approach to employee health demonstrates that you as an organisation value and prioritise the wellbeing of your staff
5. Encourage employees to move more and sit less
A lot of people have to sit at their desks or workstations for long periods of time, often in the same place. Sedentary sitting or standing, according to research, can be taxing on both the body and the mind.
Your staff should be encouraged to schedule time for physical activity, and you should think about giving ‘movement breaks’ away from their desks or workstations. Stretching, standing up, and walking about are all great ways to jolt your body up and clear your head at the same time.
Lack of exercise can cause heart disease and many other health problems, such as diabetes, obesity, and mental health issues. The British Heart Foundation says that to avoid heart disease, you should do 30 minutes of moderately intense aerobic activity five days a week.
6. Embrace flexible working to support a better work-life balance
Stress that is ongoing plays a role in the development of heart disease. A survey by CIPHR in 2021 found that 23% of people feel stressed by work in general, and 18% feel stress due to their workload. Unfortunately, a large number of people are unaware of the impact stress can have on their cardiovascular health.
Managing stress caused by work can be done in a variety of different ways by employers. However, adaptability is frequently mentioned as a viable approach. According to the findings of one study that polled 1,000 workers and asked them what their employers might do to help reduce their stress levels, nearly half of the respondents said that more flexible working hours would be helpful.
Giving employees more freedom over when and how they work can help to improve their overall wellbeing and reduce risk factors like high blood pressure. Introducing flexible working arrangements gives employees greater autonomy and even allows staff to take longer lunch breaks so they can exercise. Flexible start and finish times also supports those who have caring responsibilities.
Further support
GOV.UK – Explore further resources to help support the health of your staff.
British Heart Foundation – Information and support on different heart conditions.
Ref: WPW0217 This information was published February 2023.
