Top Tips for Employers to Create Safe and Productive Workplaces for Employees

LOS ANGELES, March 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Kristen Thibeault, Chef and Founder of Nybll, California’s fastest growing corporate catering company, who feeds thousands of people in the workplace each day, shares her tips for keeping employees healthy at work.

“Amid growing concern and anxiety about the Coronavirus, our clients are scrambling to find effective ways to keep their employees safe while still conducting business to protect everyone’s well-being and financial security. We wanted to share some recommendations to help keep everyone healthy,” says Executive Chef and Nybll Founder Kristen Thibeault.

• Reduce Stress
  When we feel stressed, our bodies produce stress hormones which tax our immune system. A few quick tips to help your team include:
• Play mindfulness music throughout the office.
• Bring in a yoga instructor to offer relaxing “moments.”
• Offer one-on-one coaching for team members feeling anxiety.
• Dr. Andrew Weil recommends supplementing your diet with adrenal support adaptogens like Ashwagandha.
• Ensure your team has access to lots of healthy greens, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and purified water.
  
  
• Get Outside and Move
  Institute a 30-minute wellness walk for everyone to get outside, breathe fresh air, and be in the sun. Studies done at UC Berkeley have shown that physical activity protects against symptoms of anxiety, and getting your heart rate up each day—just by taking a small walk—will lower the risk of many chronic conditions. Additionally, a good dose of sunshine provides Vitamin D, which supports our immune system and fight off viruses.
  
  
• Team Kitchen / Break Room Re-Vamp
  The break room kitchen can harbor a lot of dangerous germs.
• Double-check the water temperature on office kitchen dishwashers and sinks to ensure the temperature exceeds 180 degrees.
• Move to disposable, individually wrapped utensils and single use disposable cups, plates, and bowls.
• Get rid of sponges and dish towels that harbor germs and bacteria.
• Do not allow team members to store food brought from home in a shared refrigerator because it could contaminate other people’s food.
  
  
• Get More Sleep!
  Educate your team on the importance of a goodnight’s sleep. According to Dr. Brynn Dredla, a Mayo Clinic sleep neurologist, “Sleep is critical in warding off illness. Lack of sleep can affect your immune system and studies show that people who don’t get quality sleep are more likely to get sick after being exposed to a virus.”
  
  
• Make it Company Culture to “keep your distance”
  The coronavirus is transmitted from person to person via respiratory droplets. “The respiratory droplets travel about three feet before they tend to settle out of the air,” says infectious disease expert Daniel Kuritzkes of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Federal guidelines suggest six feet of separation, so keep your distance.
  
  
• Give Employees Hand Sanitizer
  While washing your hands with soap and hot water for 20 seconds is the best way to stay in good health, ask your team to use hand sanitizer throughout the day. Given that most stores are out of stock, you can safely make hand sanitizer in bulk. According to the CDC, hand sanitizer is only effective at killing viruses if it is at least 60% alcohol so the ratio of alcohol to other ingredients is critical. Recipe available here.
  
  
• Make sure your team is eating right
  Offer healthy catered meals that provide nutritionally dense food served by a reliable food partner with experience in nutrition and food safety.
• Companies should look to corporate caterers that offer plant-focused meals rich in vegetables like kale, bell peppers, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and other immune supporting plant-based foods and have the experience in providing high performance food that supports wellness.
• As the unknown risks of brokered restaurant food cause greater concern, consider instead partnering with a corporate caterer that manages 100% of the production and delivery involved including sourcing, preparation, set up, on-site service, and can better ensure the safety and integrity of the food they serve.
• Have your caterer provide poly gloves to anyone going through the buffet line. Make sure your meal service area is safe by eliminating anyone touching food related surfaces and shared service utensils.
  
  
• Snack Wall Overhaul
  Remove any unwrapped items from your snack wall, like bagels and breads, whole fruit, and gallons of milk and replace with individually wrapped items and single-use foods and beverages. Using a snack provider like SnackNation can ensure your employees have healthy choices that are also safely packaged and can be shipped anywhere.
  
  
• Take Care of Your Home-Bound Employees
  Some companies are encouraging staff to work from home. Ensure your home-bound team has access to healthy food options. Offer a healthy meal service so they avoid ordering takeout and potentially unsafe deliveries. Corporate caterers like Nybll, offer service extensions to their daily on-site service to accommodate employees working from home either on a short- or long-term basis. Millennials comprise 80 million workers in our workforce and they spend the highest share of their budgets on restaurants and delivered food. Technomic’s Generational report cites that in three out of five cases Millennials order food delivery or visit restaurants for takeout. This trend opens your team up to increased exposure and risk.

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