Food services organisation Aramark Northern Europe has launched a month-long mental wellbeing campaign encouraging employers and employees to take 15-minute breaks during their working day.
Aramark’s ‘Take15’ campaign, which will run through October 2018, is aimed at the organisation’s 18,000 employees in northern Europe, as well as clients and customers. The goal is to encourage people to take time out away from computers, phones and emails and reconnect with fellow employees.
Frank Gleeson, president of Aramark Northern Europe, said: “Our mission is to enrich and nourish lives and we understand that a healthy workforce is a happier and more productive workforce. When employees take breaks at work, they become less fatigued and have more energy.
“Short breaks also increase our ability to focus and problem solve, reducing stress levels, so it makes sense for everyone to take 15 minutes to relax and clear their head during the day.”
The organisation is encouraging employees to use their 15 minutes in a number of ways, including scheduling a team break for coffee or healthy snacks, planning a walk, spending time with a ‘break partner’, playing cards, reading a book or listening to music.
Aramark has also organised stress awareness webinars and workshops, running until the end of November, and has produced a range of promotional materials, such as a video, a booklet with practical tips, posters and an interactive competition.
Elbha Purcell, head of dietetics and wellbeing for Aramark Northern Europe, said: “Anyone can suffer from mental or emotional health problems. Over the past few years, people have become far more conscious of the importance of mental health in the work and study environment and, as a result, more focused on incorporating tools into their daily routines to help develop their mental and emotional resilience.
“With this in mind we developed our 2018 campaign to focus on mindfulness exercises, along with the importance of a healthy diet, and providing practical tips on how to take 15.”