Just under three-quarters of workers feel their overall wellbeing would increase if they had better access to water at work.
Waterlogic, a water purification system discovered that 73 per cent of employees would see their wellbeing at work increase if their employers would provide better drinking water facilities.
Staff also said they would be more productive and have increased concentration if they had access to water, with 95 per cent saying water aids both. This is in comparison to 81 per cent who feel the same way about coffee and 47 per cent regarding energy drinks.
A fifth (20 per cent) said that access to water will make them more likely to stay in their job. The majority (70 per cent) of workers feel their employer could be doing more to reduce plastic waste by reducing single-use bottles and cups in the workplace, however, 40 per cent said they do not think their employer cares.
If the UK embraced water coolers at work, the country could cut almost 3 billion plastic bottles from its waste every year.
Mark Taylor, group chief commercial officer at Waterlogic, said:
For companies who are committed to employee wellbeing, as well as to sustainability, it’s time to consider how something as simple as proper drinking water supplies can make a huge difference.
The majority of people who took part in this study said that having instant access to filtered, dispensed water at work would encourage them to drink more and stay better hydrated, with more than 70 per cent saying it would improve their wellbeing and 56 per cent saying it would improve their productivity.
Aside from the tens of billions of plastic bottles that would no longer go to landfill each year as the result of workplaces offering better drinking water access, it’s clear that the benefits from a human perspective are also vast.
This report from Waterlogic was based on the opinions of 6,300 employees from Europe, North America and Australia.
Darius is the editor of HRreview. He has previously worked as a finance reporter for the Daily Express. He studied his journalism masters at Press Association Training and graduated from the University of York with a degree in History.
