Some employers still question whether the cracks in societal systems—like the NHS and welfare—are really their responsibility.
But at The Watercooler Event, progressive employers made it clear: social impact is their business, especially as these systems edge closer to collapse. It’s not just a moral imperative—it makes commercial sense. Healthier people stay in work longer and perform better.
As one member said in a Leader’s Club session:
“Humans are not designed to live at this pace of life. They are breaking. That is what we are seeing. We need to deal with the root causes. There needs to be a radical overhaul of systems. Can employers do more? Yes, I think they can.”
JLR addresses the food system
One employer which has definitely stepped up to the plate (excuse the pun) is Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). It’s addressing one of the biggest, yet most overlooked, systems affecting health: food.
Faraz Shoghi, Head of Health Operations and Service Delivery, at JLR took to the stage at The Watercooler to explain this pioneering move.
Before JLR shared its story, Dr Dolly van Tulleken, Scientist, MRC Epidemiology Unit and Centre for Diet and Activity Research, set the scene with a sobering stat:
60% of the UK’s average diet is made up of ultra-processed foods (UPFs).
“This is driving ill health at a catastrophic level, nationally and globally,” she said.
“In the UK, we’re seeing health consequences which are impacting all of us. They’re becoming huge issues for employers and for the government regarding economic productivity because of issues related to Type 2 Diabetes.”
Government’s failed attempts
Van Tulleken argued that the government’s many attempts to tackle the so-called obesity crisis have failed largely because “these policies emphasise that individuals should change their own behaviour rather than recognising that we live in this [unhealthy] context.”
She urged audience members to ask themselves:
What food is available in the places that you work?
What could you serve?
Healthy food is more expensive than UPF, so are you paying enough [for employees] to afford a healthy life?
JLR’s Response: A Radical Overhaul
These are questions JLR asked of the food it serves to its 35,000 employees in the UK and concluded, as Faraz Shoghi, Head of Health Operations and Service Delivery, Occupational Health, said:
“We couldn’t wait for institutions to change their priorities and voluntarily shift focus towards promoting healthier foods. We have the freedom to start something meaningful now, knowing that future generations can carry it forward. It’s intergenerational change that’s needed – and as enterprises, we have the opportunity to lead that transformation.”
So, JLR set out to create its own ecosystem, driven by Occupational Health, recognising that this has been “about a four to five year journey so far”.
How JLR addressed the food system
1.Put a framework in place
It chose its “north star” as the EAT-Lancet Commission’s Planetary Health Diet, which is a global, scientifically evidenced diet that is healthy for both people and planet. It’s predominantly whole foods and plant based.
2. Raised nutritional literacy
Then it focused on raising awareness and nutritional literacy among employees, which it knew was “quite low” but with a high desire to learn.
“Unfortunately, there’s a lot of misinformation and, as soon as our employees step out of our premises, they’re bombarded with all sorts of content. So, we created a hub of evidence-based practices,” said Faraz.
3. Used everyday interactions
As well as sharing this information online, the employer also made a concerted effort to use everyday interactions, whether with Occupational Health or Centre for Wellbeing, or just a colleague conversation about food generally, to raise nutritional literacy.
4. Addressed the menu
It then addressed the food it served, mindful it needed to create multiple food options which were healthier, but also desirable, working with a “progressive” catering company which shared its mission:
“We found that there was a strong appetite among our suppliers to explore new ideas, and by empowering our catering partner to do the same, we created a space for mutual innovation and growth.”
5. Partnership with people with purpose
Much of the success of this project was about unlocking the creativity in other people, and their desire to change too, said Faraz:
“Many of us are eager to see positive change in the world, and while we often find ourselves navigating complex systems, there’s a growing sense of momentum and shared desire to move forward together.”
6. Made it easy (and sexy)
JLR’s catering supplier partnered with BOSH!, which specialises in making plant-based meals “easy, exciting and delicious” to appeal, especially, to meat-loving males.
“We’re experimenting to see if we can resonate with people and nudge them in the right direction. A lot of it is around reducing barriers,” said Faraz. “People want to have a healthier life and live longer, obviously, but they don’t want it to be an effort or a compromise to their experience. So, our job is to reduce the effort for them and make it more appealing.”
7. Made the price right
Another “massive lever” when it comes to food is pricing.
“We’ve reduced the cost of the food we deem the ‘good stuff’ by 50% and seen a significant increase in uptake as a result,” he said. “You want the easy choice to be the better choice and that’s what we’ve been trying to do through nudging and monitoring.”
8. Smart nudges
To help this “nudging” process of behaviour change, JLR enlisted the help of ProVeg to advise on the psychology of choice. Other “nudges” included putting the healthy option in prime position (rather than the “vegetarian” choice hidden in the corner) and make them feel inclusive.
One key lesson? Avoid the perception of removing choice. Experiment and adapt to find what works best for any given situation:
“We keep innovating, so we’ve tried many different things. Not all of them have been successful but we know that we’re going to have some misses.”
9. Brought everyone on the journey
The company’s employee-led groups have been an effective way to “bring everyone on the journey”, with the working parents network helping to take the message back to families. Faraz said:
“At JLR, we’re committed to serving great food and empowering people to make informed choices – because better food means healthier people and planet.”
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