Updated On: August 16, 2023
Staying hydrated is proven to make people more productive while reducing stress — a business benefit that many may be unaware of. According to Harvard Health, most people need about 4 to 6 cups of water every day to maintain energy and concentration.
But, drinking enough water can be difficult without a high-quality water solution in the workplace.
Cintron Hygiene found that a reported 67% of people admit to being more afraid of germs and aware of hygiene since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. This means workplaces need sustainable solutions that deliver sanitation reassurance to employees. Without this peace of mind, employees may reach for bottled water or risk dehydration.
Thankfully, you can reduce the acceleration of plastic waste while still providing clean water at work. Read on to learn why employers are introducing sustainable hydration solutions to drive employee engagement and well-being at work.
What Is Employee Engagement?
Employee engagement encompasses the emotional commitment and active involvement of employees in their work and the overall success of their organization. This is essential because workers who feel connected to their company are more likely to work harder, stick around longer, and motivate other team members to do the same. Research from the Harvard Business Review found that 92% of business executives believe that engaged employees perform better, promoting organizational success.
How Does Hydration Impact Workplace Engagement?
Hydration plays an essential role in employee engagement because it directly affects workers’ cognitive functions, energy levels, and overall well-being. When employees drink enough water throughout the day, they can maintain focus, concentration, and mental clarity — all of which are key for productivity and problem-solving.
What’s more, staying hydrated helps fight fatigue and prevents the sharp decline in motivation that often accompanies dehydration. By providing access to clean drinking water, employers can foster a healthier and more engaged workforce, leading to increased job satisfaction and higher employee performance levels.
Why Employers Should Care About Sustainability
Time Magazine found that around 70% of employees and job seekers say a company that’s involved with a sustainability program makes them more appealing, and 44% of executives consider their business’ climate initiatives to be an effective tool for recruitment and retention.
With this in mind, company leaders need to step up their sustainable water practices to boost their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives while supporting the mental and physical wellness of workers. This is a great way for businesses to show their employees — and the rest of the world — that it’s serious about supporting the team, being socially responsible, and helping to save the planet.
How Can You Provide Water Sustainably?
Firstly, companies can show that the water they provide is safe for consumption. Nearly 60 million Americans choose not to use a sink tap that’s available to them because they don’t trust where the water comes from, according to MedRxiv.
Employers can also implement a hydration solution with a water filtration system from Quench to rid tap water of impurities. These devices filter chemicals like chlorine, which makes the water more palatable but also strips it of protection against bacteria and viruses. Fortunately, Quench solutions leverage UV technology to offer greater bacterial and viral protection while minimizing harmful chemicals and letting essential minerals through. This way, businesses can provide safe and sustainable hydration confidently.
Strategies to Encourage Employee Wellbeing and Engagement
Dehydration can cause several health issues, including headaches, dizziness, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, muscle cramps, and even mood swings. When not drinking enough water, it’s easy for employees, whether working at home or in the workplace, to feel unmotivated or sluggish, which has a knock-on effect on businesses. It can also lead to more sick days taken, which hurts your company’s bottom line.
To keep employees healthy and engaged, create initiatives that people can strive for. Here are some examples of ways your team could work toward bettering themselves — and the environment — through hydration and wellness practices:
- Create a committee that meets once a month to act as employee wellness and engagement ambassadors. These individuals can come up with topics to present and discuss, create healthy behavior and challenges for the group, and encourage one another.
- Hold meetings while going for a walk either in the office or around the block to inspire physical health. This can help boost physical activity and get employees out of their seats and on their feet, all while still being productive and lowering stress.
- Initiate an employee health program or health promotion where coworkers can complete fitness classes, health activities, or a wellness initiative to earn some form of reward. This can increase physical wellness, boost morale, and contribute to a fun and competitive work environment.
- Create a water goal for employees to aim for. This could allow everyone to boost water intake and ultimately drive levels of engagement.
Before creating an employee well-being strategy or assistance program, ensure that people have access to a water solution that’s safe, sustainable, and easy to use.
Keep Employees Happy and Healthy With Quench
To support the future of the workforce, whether that’s in an office environment, school, hospital, restaurant, shop, or warehouse, your organization can ensure it provides safe and clean water to staff on demand. Not only will this show workers that they’re supported, but it’ll also provide employee engagement and wellness benefits.
A Quench bottleless water dispenser is a cost-effective way to provide hot, cold, iced, or sparkling drinking water, reducing your dependence on plastic bottles. Upgrade your plastic water cooler to cut costs, improve sustainability, and enhance employee wellness, all while enjoying electrolyte-infused water without chemicals, contaminants, sediments, or weird tastes or odors.
Our quenchWATER+ filtration provides drinking water that reduces harmful levels of dissolved solids and pollutants, including pesticides, nitrates, fluoride, and 99% of lead. Unlike other water dispenser companies, we also incorporate reverse osmosis filtration, which enables an even more efficient cleaning. And the water tastes great! What better way to encourage hydration in the workplace than to offer delicious H2O?
Want to know what our most popular bottleless water coolers are? Great! Here are some options that would work great in your business:
- Quench Q4: Works in smaller companies and low-traffic areas.
- Quench Q5: For medium businesses and break rooms, this dispenser is perfect.
- Quench Q8: A 100% touchless water solution for medium organizations and break rooms.
- Quench Q12: A touchless option best for large facilities or workplaces and high-traffic areas.
Empower employee health, engagement, and productivity with a drinking water solution that helps you save money and boosts water conservation in the process. Interested in a Quench bottleless water dispenser for your workplace? Contact us to get a free estimate!
