VENDING & WATER COOLERS


DRINKING FROM THE CUP OF WELLBEING


Chris Penn, Managing Director of 4 Aces, looks at the importance of adequate


water provision in the working environment and notes that the requirement for a wider range of increasingly sophisticated water cooler products has grown in accordance with the level of concern trending for employee wellbeing in the office.


Our bodies are made up of approximately 60% water and we need to constantly replenish that water in order to survive. As our


bodies are losing water


all the time, we have to drink a lot of water (around eight glasses a day) to replace what’s been lost and to stay fit and healthy.


People who work in offices have grown wise to the fact that they should be drinking more water and office suppliers and facilities managers are recognising both the desire, and the need, to increase water consumption and hydration at work.


“KEEPING STAFF HAPPY AND HYDRATED


IMPROVES THE QUALITY OF WORK.”


This raised awareness ties in with the current trend for acknowledging the importance of employee wellbeing – a trend particularly evident in the commercial sector where wellbeing has become a major focus.


The office itself has become a tool in the recruitment and retention of staff and a lot of the larger companies are spending time and money improving their office spaces to increase productivity and make staff feel comfortable in their working environment. As water is vital to wellbeing, it makes sense that the supply of water and water coolers has to be one of the basics


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when it comes to the check list for upgrading these spaces.


And it’s not just about making bottled water available to all staff; it’s about encouraging them to drink more too. The simple 7oz water cup – previously one of our staple offerings - is currently on the wane and we are now receiving more orders for 9oz cups. Customers, regardless of sector, want bigger and better, with different grades of plastic, different pack sizes and different colours. They want paper cups, PET plastic cups, PP plastic cups, paper cones, plastic cones and dispensers; the list goes on as the demand for prompt and regular service increases.


Employers, have a vested interest in keeping water close at hand for staff to drink. Besides keeping staff happy and hydrated and improving the quality of work that gets done, the provision of water is, as mentioned earlier, key to good health.


Keeping staff healthy, of course, means less sick days, which makes for a positive impact on the bottom line. Not only that, as the brain is made up of approximately 70% water, dehydration also causes a lack of concentration, with the brain screaming out with thirst and detracting from the task at hand. Regularly drinking water therefore makes us do our jobs better.


“DEHYDRATION ALSO CAUSES A LACK OF CONCENTRATION.”


There are also benefits for visitors to the office as water coolers provide a prompt and immediate refreshment opportunity without the need to disrupt members of staff who otherwise might be called on to serve water or make drinks.


As regularly drinking water is a key part of a healthy lifestyle, our challenge now, as suppliers, is to see if we can push some cup sizes to 11 or 12oz while keeping the diameter equal for uncompromised dispensing. Our aim is certainly to support those employers who want to encourage their workers to drink more.


We’ve even talked to some customers about a ‘Big Gulp’ option. It would restore some karma in the fight against obesity with each ‘Big Gulp’ water option cancelling out the effects of one ‘Big Gulp’ fizzy drink option. It’s a nice way of squaring things and it certainly promotes well- being, regardless of the environment.


www.4acesltd.com twitter.com/TomorrowsFM


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