Focus on Principle 5 & 6 of the Seven Principles of Employee Wellbeing

Co-created by The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) Collaboration of Healthier Lives Coalition of Action (CHL) and the McKinsey Health Institute to establish an evidence-based wellbeing framework and set of principles; fostering employee health and wellbeing. Click here to access.

Deploy Interventions 

Cultivating a Caring Culture 

SPAR Gran Canaria

In Spain, the SPAR brand is operated by a licensed organisation in Gran Canaria, which runs company-owned stores, three logistics centres, a banana ripening plant, and undertakes food production in addition to delivering products and skills to independent retailers that are sub-licensed to operate stores under the SPAR Brand. SPAR Gran Canaria is a key employer on the island and is dedicated to improving the lives of residents of local communities and its employees. The company is keen to create awareness amongst youth that retailing and wholesaling are considered viable careers.

Te Cuida Health Programme

In view of the high levels of absenteeism which had been measured, SPAR Gran Canaria developed a programme that aims to reduce it. In 2023, the absenteeism rate in its store network was 7.42% due to common illnesses or non-work-related accidents. Market data pegs abstenteeism at 5.08% (Source: Mutua Asepeyo).
Based on this statistic, the company created a global health programme that includes:

  • Work-focused health information
  • Sport in the partially subsidised workplace
  • Partially subsidised physiotherapy sessions
  • Promoting healthy habits
  • Specific programme that focuses on people with recurrent absences due to illness
  • Sponsorship of sports teams in Gran Canaria

Promoting healthy habits not only improves the wellbeing of our team, but also increases productivity, reduces absenteeism and strengthens employee commitment. By promoting a healthy lifestyle, SPAR Gran Canaria is building a workforce which is stronger, happier and more efficient. 

SPAR Gran Canaria prepared a health programme that encompasses the following aspects: 

Implementation

1. Key Elements of the Programme

  • Improved food offering in canteens, vending machines, offices
  • Procedures and teach techniques to help reduce stress
  • Jobs with physical work – promote stretching and warm-ups
  • Smoke-free working environment
  • Employees encouraged to take regular breaks and engage in breathing exercises
  • Managers should consider the needs of staff with disabilities, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers.
  • Provide information on the importance of adequate rest.
  • Encourage staff to explore work modifications as they age.
  • Foster a work environment that supports physical activity for a healthier lifestyle.
  • Promote positive work relationships to enhance the work environment.
  • Regularly communicate healthy habits to all staff.

2. Implementation of two physiotherapy rooms

3. Disseminate health information

In collaboration with the Spanish Association Against Cancer

4. Information on accident prevention and promotion of sports in the facilities

Impact

The SPAR Gran Canaria staff expresses their gratitude and actions are well received and valued in our suggestion box which have a have a good acceptance rate.

The physiotherapist’s schedule has been adapted to meet the requests of the team, ensuring that all proposed hours are covered. Additionally, one extra day per month has been added in response to their requests.

The impact on medical leave cannot be analyzed until January 2025, as the changes will not have been in place for a full year by then.

The promotion of sport within our company culture is well known. The company sponsors, for example, the Gran Canaria basketball team which increases awareness of the importance of sport with the employees.

Learn More

About CGF Collaboration for Healthier Lives Coalition of Action

  • The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF)’s CEO-led Coalition of Action on Collaboration for Healthier Lives (CHL) is about making it easier for people around the world to adopt healthier lives for themselves and their families.
  • CHL initiatives running across 9 countries and involving over 160 organisations.
  • As a collective, members of the CGF, and their partners, are exploring, experimenting, innovating, and evolving business models to support positive change, while sharing data and knowledge at scale, cross industry. Health is not a competitive advantage; it’s a basic necessity. And it’s clear no company can solve this issue alone.
  • Collaboration is needed at scale and across sectors if the consumer goods industry is to play the necessary role in the health and wellbeing of people. 
  • For more information please visit our website
  • Contact the CHL team to have your employee wellbeing programmes featured.

About the Acceleration Areas

  • Announced at the 2023 Global Summit in Kyoto, the five Acceleration Areas (AAs) are designed to fast-track sustainability through key, targeted interventions.
  • As part of the Coalition’s leadership strategy, the physical and mental health of over 10 million employees of CGF members are at the core of CHL’s new agenda.
  • Establishing employee wellbeing programmes to support employee health is currently being championed as an Acceleration Area at the CGF.