Increasing hydration in the workplace

Previously, we’ve discussed the importance of providing hydration within the workplace, and you can read all about it in our blog here, but this week we’ll be providing you with our favourite tips on how to ensure that your workplace is hydrated, happy, and healthy.

But, why?

So, why are we suggesting you increase hydration in the workplace? Aside from needing to adhere to the Workplace (Health, Safety, and Welfare) Regulations from 1992, that state you must provide an adequate supply of drinking water for your employees, hydrating your employees will also provide you with a productivity boost. Dehydration of even 1-2% causes a reduction in concentration levels, affecting the brain’s executive function. The executive function concerns our planning abilities and our visuo-spatial skills, essential skills in most workplaces!

Why are some employees not doing this?

Keeping your employees hydrated may seem like a logical strategy, but why are some companies neglecting to do so? There are a few reasons why employees may be under-hydrated, the Natural Hydration Council (you can find some great resources on their website here), list the following as barriers to adequate workplace hydration;

• Employees not having access to drinking water facilities
• Warm working environments (workers who are often exposed to hot conditions tend to drink less fluids as their thirst response is insufficient)
• High altitude environments (such as those working in construction, or as part of an air crew)
• Air conditioning usage
• Heavy or strenuous work (A person doing heavy work can sweat one litre of fluid per hour, so will need to replenish this liquid)

How to remedy the situation

If you struggle with some of the above barriers, or just wish to generally increase hydration levels within your workplace or business, never fear, we are here with our top tips to increase hydration in the workplace!

Firstly, audit your employee’s access to workplace refreshment. Employees should not have to conduct a small hike merely to obtain a glass of water! Ensure that every workspace has a watercooler within an easy distance that is frequently maintained. Assess how many staff members will be using any one cooler and choose a machine with an adequate capacity, we recommend choosing a plumbed in water dispenser to ensure that you’ll never run out of water, Borg & Overström have a fantastic range of plumbed in watercoolers that you can choose from here.

Ensure that workers undertaking physical labour, or working in outdoor locations, have frequent hydration breaks, especially when working during the summer months. Provide refillable bottles that workers can top up frequently and carry with them as they go. Borg & Overström provide sports bottles in both 500ml and 750ml capacity that are ideal for this purpose, and you can view these in our accessory range here.

Our daily hydration comes from a wide range of sources, not just water. Provide your employees with access to hot drinks also. A hot coffee in the morning goes a long way to boosting productivity, and hydration levels! You can also provide employees with items that jazz up the humble glass of water. Squash, herbal tea bags, and vitamin tablets are all easy and cost effective methods to infuse water with a touch of flavour.

You can also consider choosing a watercooler with the option of sparkling water to provide your employees with an even wider choice of hydration options. This is a great sugar-free alternative to popular fizzy drinks such as cola and lemonade, for the health conscious amongst us. We love refreshing with sparkling water, and we’ve written a whole blog about the fizzy stuff here. Many Borg & Overström watercoolers offer the choice of sparkling water, alongside ambient, hot, and chilled water, choose the ideal option for your workplace here.

If you would like to discuss updating your workplace with a Borg & Overström watercooler, contact us today.