Call centres have been unveiled as the unhealthiest
Call centre operators have today been uncovered as the unhealthiest workers in the UK, meaning stars of popular BBC fly--on--the--wall documentary, ‘The Call Centre’, will have even fewer reasons than ever to ‘smile whilst they dial’.
New research for a ‘Wellbeing at Work League’ released today by BRITA, has identified the unhealthiest and healthiest professions in the country.
With two thirds of the workers quizzed admitting to feeling dehydrated at work and 46 per cent relying on unhealthy treats to keep them going, BRITA is launching Pour O’Clock, on Wednesday 28th May at 4pm, an initiative urging workers to reach for a glass of water instead of a sugary snack to give them a boost.
Builders’ love of greasy spoon cafes meant they came in second place and joining them on the unhealthiest podium are PRs in third. They were followed by engineers in forth place and IT workers in fifth. A third of all call centre operators avoid exercise completely during the working week despite the fact that they spend eight hours a day sat at their desks. Despite being unhealthy in many ways, Patsy and Edina’s champagne guzzling ‘Ab Fab’ lifestyle is over for modern day PRs. Contrary to the picture painted by the hit show, 40 per cent of media luvvies avoid alcohol completely during the working week.
The research found that not all workers neglect their health from 9 to 5. Teachers were awarded top marks and named the healthiest profession in the UK, with 70 per cent eating three regular meals a day and a quarter getting eight hours of sleep a night. Nurses, despite busy schedules and high stress levels, make time to take care of themselves and came in second place. Despite their glamorous lifestyles, fashion designers were awarded third place and farmers, who have an active work life, were fourth healthiest. Surprisingly, health and fitness professionals only just scraped into the top five in fifth place.
Renowned London dietician and nutritionist, Jo Travers commented: ‘People spend a large amount of time at work so integrating healthy habits into their day is crucial. Hydration is important as it has an impact on our productivity and concentration. Our research found that 4pm is the time that most people tend to feel a slump in energy. It can be tempting to reach for something sugary, but this can be counter--productive as it can cause a spike in blood sugar, followed by a crash. Low energy at this time can be a sign of dehydration so if you ‘Pour at Four’ it’s a great way to help perk you up and enable you to stay focused.’
Sarah Taylor, Director of Marketing at BRITA commented: ‘We were interested in investigating the role of hydration in wellbeing at work and how different professions were affected. Our findings revealed that drinking plenty of water is a smart and simple way to start living by healthier workplace habits. We want the launch of Pour O’Clock to remind all workers that reaching for a glass of water rather than the biscuit tin is the best way to stay productive.’
Further findings highlighted that 45 per cent of professionals are too busy to drink enough water and that nearly two-thirds of workers only drink water when they feel really thirsty. Jo Travers comments: ‘Getting thirsty is actually one of the very last physical effects dehydration has on the body so the damage may have already begun. Learning to identify the other signs of dehydration, like dry eyes or lack of concentration, will help avoid it.’
Additional results revealed which professions suffer from stress and lack of sleep the most. 40 per cent of all workers are stressed for over a third of the day but call centre workers topped the wellbeing table again and suffer more than other professionals. PRs came in second place and unsurprisingly nurses were third. Perhaps we should all move to the country as it seems famers are the least stressed of all workers. At the other end of the scale, the research found that travel agents were the best sleepers, surprisingly followed by entertainment industry workers in second. Teachers came in third place, with over a third managing to get a full eight hours a night. Nurses win the award for surviving on the least hours of sleep, a shocking five per cent only manage to get an hour on a regular basis.
Pour O’Clock begins on Wednesday 28th May, so at 4pm BRITA is urging workers to reach for a glass of water and beat the afternoon slump with the healthier option.
Tagged in Health