Asda goes into overdrive with staff health promotions

ASDA employees are to be provided with health and fitness advice, health checks and healthy food options during the supermarket chain’s three-week health programme.

The first week of the programme, starting on 9 June at all of Asda’s 329 stores, will introduce retail workers to healthier snacks and meals made available through staff canteens and vending machines.

Sam Smith, colleague relations team leader at Asda, said: “At the end of the day, our colleagues are out there on the shop floor filling shelves and serving customers so they want to have a proper meal.”

Staff will also be given free fruit and told how they can get involved in the rest of the programme.

The second week will be about raising awareness of health and will enable employees to have blood pressure checks and diabetes tests at Asda pharmacies. Employees will also be encouraged to get into shape by losing weight, and will be offered diet plans and the opportunity to participate in Asda’s slimathon.

During the third week of the programme, which will focus on physical activity, employees will be given advice on how to stay fit. Employees will also be given the opportunity to take part in a cycling competition in October. 

Smith added: “What we’re trying to do is raise awareness, but we don’t want to force people into a healthy lifestyle if they don’t want to do that. It’s about raising awareness and giving them better choices within the store. People are with us for eight-to-nine hours a day so it’s important that we should try and educate them where we can.”