Encouraging employees to drink water can be a great wellness activity

Companies witness increased levels of energy, engagement and productivity in employees with sufficient water intake. 

There is a lot of hoo-ha around employee wellness in the corporate world these days. In reality, however, companies tend to often undermine the minor regular matters that may have a cascading effect.

For instance, let us consider the water drinking behaviour of employees and how it has certain serious effects on employee productivity and energy levels.

Most companies will never even consider making this an important part of their employee wellness agenda. The obvious excuse will be—“How can we control the drinking behaviour of employees?”

However, research has proved that when employees do not drink enough water, not only does their health get affected but also their productivity.

Organisations are responsible for employees not drinking enough water.

Organisations that make it easy and convenient for their people to access and drink more water throughout the day may witness a significant increase in their employees’ energy levels, engagement and work capacity.

According to a research by Quench, a provider of filtered water systems, in the US, more than three-quarters (77 per cent) of those surveyed felt they did not consume sufficient water on a daily basis to meet their health needs. A common reason that employees gave for inadequate water intake was lack of thirst. Another important reason they gave was that they lacked the time to get it, and also detested the taste of the water available at the workplace. Many a time, they had to pay to get water from outside, which also discouraged them.

These are the issues and aspects that employers need to take care of.

One of the easiest ways to ensure that employees drink water is to assess the layout of the workplace and place water sources at convenient and central locations, not far from the workstations.

Vantage Circle’s health and wellness program offer an effective way of inspiring your employees to take up the habit of drinking water along with other health activities like Calorie count, Meal tracking, Activity tracking, Walking and Running contests and much more.

Another way to encourage water intake is to ensure that fresh and purified water is available to all employees for consumption.

It is a good idea to run communication campaigns touting the benefits of staying hydrated through the day, so that employees reach out for their glass of water frequently. It is in the larger interest of the company to promote a healthy workplace culture that encourages employees to drink several glasses of water during work hours.

One of the easiest ways to ensure that employees drink water is to assess the layout of the workplace and place water sources at convenient and central locations, not far from the workstations.

Organisations that make it easy and convenient for their people to access and drink more water throughout the day may witness a significant increase in their employees’ energy levels, engagement and work capacity.

With lifestyle diseases on the rise, the issue of water intake should become an integral part of a well-thought out corporate wellness strategy. Thirst is not always a timely or reliable indicator of dehydration. This is because, usually, the sensation of thirst is not felt until dehydration has already set in. Even the slightest of dehydration can adversely affect productivity, energy levels and attentiveness.

The study also highlights some interesting facts on water drinking habits. Men drink more water than women. While 27 per cent of men consume enough water to meet their health needs, only 20 per cent women drink sufficient water.

Millennials, the largest generation in the workforce, are more likely to always drink enough water during the work day (26 per cent) as compared to gen X (21 per cent) and baby boomers (20 per cent).

Though ideal water intake varies from person to person, 1.5 to 2 litres of water a day is considered perfect.

It is one of the inexpensive ways to boost productivity.