ABEL & COLE FIND EMPLOYEES WHO CYCLE TO WORK FEEL BETTER READY TO START THEIR DAY
Abel & Cole is an organic food delivery company based in Wimbledon that encourages wellbeing and healthy lifestyles for all employees by offering mindfulness training, encouraging active lifestyles and free delivery boxes of fruit and vegetables. Sustainability is also a key part of the company’s ethos and consequently they have a strong cycling culture; over 15% of employees in the latest Abel & Cole employee wellbeing survey said they regularly cycle to work, with a further quarter (25%) saying they both cycle and take public transport.
Signing up to Cyclescheme was an obvious choice for Abel & Cole and over the past ten years employees have been encouraged to cycle for their own mental and physical wellbeing, for the sake of the environment and for the benefits the business sees as a result, such as a punctual and productive workforce. The employees who don’t cycle to work often report frequent and disruptive delays when driving or taking public transport, with many saying that they are delayed every single day. Approximately 18% of employees said they lost between 1 – 3 hours per week because of commuting difficulties, and a further 13% lost more than 3 hours per week, accounting for thousands of pounds of working hours over time. Additionally, they report feeling stressed and frustrated on arrival because of unreliable public transport or traffic.
Cyclescheme was an obvious choice for Abel & Cole who encourage employees to cycle for their own mental and physical wellbeing
On the other hand, Claire Claudia Ruane, Director of Culture at Abel & Cole, says she notices cyclists avoid delays in their journeys, bar an occasional puncture, and appear happier and better ready to start their working day:
“It really does seem that the only sure fire way to avoid traffic and public transport delays is by cycling (or walking, or course!) to and from work. I can tell who’s cycled to work because they walk into work looking fresher, calmer and happier. That and the high vis…
We know that it’s stressful for people who have to battle with traffic and train delays – although our mindfulness classes go some way help with that.
Cyclists who start and end the working day with a bit of fresh air and exercise are improving their mental and physical wellbeing. The individual gets a lot from it and so does the organisation – there’s a great positive knock on effect.”
More information Abel & Cole was founded in 1988 and are pioneers of ethically sourced, top notch food and drink from people who truly care about good food that’s grown and made properly. They believe that organic farming (a holistic system that encourages biodiversity) is the very best way to go. The company prides itself on the organic boxes of produce delivered to their customers’ doors that are seasonally themed with lots of ideas for recipes.