Many Canadians eat their lunches at their desks and one company has put a stop to it. The commercial real estate company CBRE has undertaken a wellness program and introduced the change as part of that.
“There is a requirement to get up and move around through the day which raises energy and keeps our employees more alert. It’s better for your health to get up and move around, ergonomically,” says Lisa Fulford-Roy, managing director of workplace strategy.
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Policy promotes employee interaction
“So by creating a no-eating zone at the desk, we’re actually asking our employees to change their behaviour and to go to the work café and eat their lunch there. But the benefit of doing that is that they get to see other colleagues. They get to have informal interactions with their colleagues and all levels of the organization are using the café.”
The policy also cuts down on bacteria at the desk and leaves it cleaner for other employees who may use it. It also eliminates the distraction from food odours.
Fulford-Roy says there was some resistance to the new policy at the beginning but that now employees have embraced it. In fact, it has worked so well she is considering creating a video to show employees the success of the change.
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