Britain’s healthiest places to work revealed

Johnson & Johnson, Adidas UK and Wellness International Ltd have been named by Vitality’s Britain’s Healthiest Workplace (BHW) 2019 study as the healthiest places to work in Britain. The healthcare company, sports apparel manufacturer and health and wellbeing provider were awarded first place in the large, medium and small-sized company divisions, respectively.

This is the seventh year in a row that Adidas UK has earned first place in the medium-sized category and the second time Wellness International Ltd has been named number one in the small classification. Johnson & Johnson is named healthiest large workplace this year, having previously won in 2015. Last year’s large-sized company winner Nomura International came second this year, having been previously named healthiest large company four times in the awards.

The annual Vitality Britain’s Healthiest Workplace study is developed by innovative health and life insurer and investments company, Vitality, and produced in partnership with Rand Europe, Mercer Marsh Benefits, the University of Cambridge and the Financial Times. It examines the link between employee health and lifestyle choices, the work environment, and business critical outcomes such as productivity and engagement.

Vitality’s Britain’s Healthiest Workplace study provides one of the largest and most comprehensive datasets on organisational performance and wellbeing. Now in its seventh year, the study scores employee health based on factors including physical activity, nutrition and smoking habits.  These scores are then combined with the efforts from leadership on fostering a wellbeing culture and use of workplace wellness interventions, facilities and services.

Here’s what executives of the leading employers believed had made a difference in their organisations:

Neville Koopowitz, CEO of Vitality said:

“Vitality’s Britain’s Healthiest Workplace study provides a unique perspective into how employers can directly influence their employees’ health and wellbeing. The study is now in its seventh year and we have once again seen how a well-structured and comprehensive workplace wellness programme can lead to improved business performance. Employees’ poor lifestyles not only impact on their own health, but their companies are exposed to lost productivity and increased costs. When employers prioritise their employees’ health and wellbeing and provide accessible wellness interventions they not only boost business performance, but ultimately contribute to their employees overall health, and in turn support society as a whole.”

Chris Bailey, Partner at Mercer Marsh Benefits said:

“One of the biggest barriers to creating healthy workplaces is leadership commitment. Participating in Britain’s Healthiest Workplace is an easy first step in a robust evaluation of the health of an organisation. Although the findings can uncover some uncomfortable truths it is the organisations and leaders who face these that see continued returns. Those organisations that started engaging with their workforce on health 7 years ago now lead the way in organisational wellbeing.”

Clare Sicklen, UK Health and Wellness HR Lead at Johnson & Johnson said:

“At Johnson & Johnson, we aspire to change the trajectory of health for humanity and to achieve this we know we need to have the world’s healthiest workforce.

“Winning ‘Britain’s Healthiest Workplace’ is testament to that ambition and all the hard work that’s gone towards realising it. The award will inspire us to continue to put the health and wellness of our employees at the heart of what we do.”

Gavin Thomson, SVP & GM, adidas North Europe UK, added:

“When it comes to our people, we recognise that just like our elite athletes, our employees need mental strength in their game as much as physical wellbeing. We’re very proud to win Britain’s Healthiest Workplace Award which is a testament to our winning culture at adidas, our world-class facilities and most importantly, our exceptional employees who every day exemplify our core belief that through sport, we have the power to change lives.”

Tricia Kalloo, CEO of Wellness International Ltd, commented:

“The health and wellbeing of our employees will always be paramount to us. We are very proud to have won this award for two consecutive years since entering the competition and hope that this is a reflection of the culture and values of the company. Our employees are our greatest asset and we will continue to put them at the heart of everything we do.”