Should reward leaders embrace Veganuary?

As this month marks Veganuary, a 31-day challenge that encourages people to eat only vegan food, a study has uncovered that employees want more vegan options at work.

In fact, figures show that nearly one in four workers want such options available in their place of work.

Elsewhere, one in eight workers shared that they would support their office becoming ‘meat-free’, as organisations are being encouraged to consider their workforce’s diets and lifestyles.

As part of the 2021 Lunch & UK Workers Survey, which was conducted by Ramona’s Kitchen, almost a quarter of respondents expressed concerns that businesses aren’t doing enough to support vegan options, which is causing an average of two employees in every UK small business to regularly skip lunch.

With veganism rising, particularly among gen Z workers, employers could risk losing such talent if they chose to ignore support for vegan food at work.

This is echoed in the data as 26% of under 35s stated that they would like their company to provide better support for vegan options at work, whereas 15% of those aged 35 and over requested more support for vegan food options.

Of the employees from the 133 UK companies surveyed, some 12% of the businesses are said to have stopped offering healthy food choices altogether.

With a lack of healthy options, employees are also seeking more support to lead a healthier lifestyle, as 23% said that they want employers to encourage finishing on time, while 20% would like their firm to offer mental health support to tackle work pressures.

In addition, a quarter of workers want their employer to promote eating away from desks at lunchtime. Plus, 25% said that they want their company to support taking a full lunch break to ensure workers are taking space away from work.

Elsewhere, Ramona Hazan, founder of Ramona’s, noted that organisations should be doing more to support employees’ individual lifestyles.

“The findings from our research show that workers are really struggling with healthy eating in the workplace.

Employers have to be more aware of what they’re providing for their vegan members of staff, and for workers looking to embrace more green and eco-friendly initiatives,” Hazan explained.

“2021 was a really popular year for meat-free dieting and the momentum doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon.”

While offering vegan food varieties will help to embrace more employee lifestyles, organisations could also look at more sustainable options too.

For example, sustainably sourced desks and office equipment, as well as replacing leather goods with vegan-friendly products could make all the difference to a workforce.

Listen to the latest Friends in Benefits podcast episode to hear how Wahaca’s people director is boosting the restaurant’s sustainability efforts.