"Good for You" starts from caring for the employees
26 July 2017
“GOOD FOR YOU” STARTS FROM CARING FOR THE EMPLOYEES
BARILLA IN THE FOREFRONT WITH “PEOPLE CARE”
One of the distinctive elements of Barilla’s “Good for You, Good for the Planet” mission is the care for the wellbeing of its employees, which is confirmed by the numerous company initiatives dedicated to People Care: from smart working to the sì.mediterraneo project, as well as osteopathy treatments on the company premises.
“Good for You” in Barilla means being people’s preferred Company, promoting wholesome and joyful food habits inspired by the Mediterranean lifestyle. It means, at the same time, improving employees’ quality of life, since they are the Company’s biggest asset.
Indeed, since its birth in 1877, the Group from Parma has always put People Care at its centre through several initiatives aimed at promoting the wellbeing of its people. The corporate health fund programme has been active since 1947 and part-time was available in Barilla already before a specific law was implemented in Italy. These choices highlight Barilla’s desire to help its people live better, encouraging healthy dietary choices and promoting balanced lifestyles. The purpose is turning employees into the main ambassadors of the company’s vision. Here is a series of projects that show the Group’s commitment in this direction.
OSTEOPATHY IN BARILLA: ON-SITE FREE TREATMENTS FOR EMPLOYEES TO PREVENT STRESS AND DISEASES
Preventing diseases and reducing psychophysical stress thanks to the “mild” approach of osteopathy, through treatments available directly on-site: the pilot study, which involves 450 Barilla employees on a voluntary basis, is something new in Italy since it will enable to assess for the first time the effects of osteopathy on the life of workers carrying out different tasks.
Started last November and available until April 2018, the project permits every employee to receive an on-site osteopathic treatment, performed free of charge by a team of osteopaths of the Italian Osteopathy College (CIO) of Parma, which carried out important research in collaboration with the University of Parma on the effect of osteopathy on stress.
Every treatment consists of six sessions that take place on the company premises in dedicated areas. The purpose of the project is to demonstrate how osteopathy can reduce sick leaves, in addition to improving physical endurance to work stress. Another purpose is diminishing the number of medical-specialist examinations and reducing the use of drugs by employees, since osteopathy is meant to prevent rather than treat.
“SÌ.MEDITERRANEO”: WHEN SUSTAINABILITY BEGINS AT THE (COMPANY’S) TABLE
Barilla’s engagement on People Care involves also the Company’s canteens. “sì.mediterraneo” is a healthy eating education project for the Barilla Group employees, realized in cooperation with the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine of the Federico II University of Naples and with the contribution of the Barilla Nutrition Advisory Board. Nutritionally balanced and environmentally sustainable menus to increase awareness on the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet. Barilla employees can read right on the menus not only the calories content of the foods they eat, but also the environmental impact associated with their choice. To date, 7,300 employees in 15 Countries have been involved in the project, with excellent results. A study carried out in collaboration with the Federico II University in Naples and the CNR of Avellino - and recently published on the International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition - highlights that since the beginning of the programme the consumption of whole grain pasta and bread has increased, as well asthe consumption of legumes, fish and white meat, to the detriment of red meat, eggs and cheese.
SMART WORKING, BUT NOT ONLY
We refers here to the revolutionary project that allows flexibility and a better life/work balance, pioneered by Barilla in 2013.
2016 saw a further expansion of the Smart Working programme. The Group doubled indeed the number of days that office staff is allowed to use for “smart working”: from 4 to 8 every month, with a resulting saving of time, costs and a related benefit for the environment. To date, 1,700 office people have joined the project in Barilla.
Results have been very positive so far. In particular, the largest benefit refers to the life/work balance that has led to increased satisfaction amongst employees. In addition, with the aim of favouring employees in carrying out their daily activities, the Company introduced numerous “time-saving” services, such as the in-company collection of postal packages for employees, an internal laundry service and the possibility of reserving take-away baskets for dinner with sustainable menus that vary every week.
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