The role of the workplace food environment in eating behaviours of employees at small and medium-sized enterprises: a qualitative study in the Netherlands.

backgroundWorkplace food environments play a pivotal role in encouraging healthy and sustainable food choices. However, research on food environments in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) without a workplace cafeteria is scarce, with much of the existing research concentrating on larger or specific types of companies. This qualitative study primarily aims to explore how employers and employees perceive the workplace food environment across different types of SMEs in the Netherlands, including desk-based, mobile workforce, and on-site manual labour settings. Second, it aims to gain insight into the perceived opportunities and barriers in SMEs to promote a healthy and sustainable diet.

methodsThis qualitative study involved 27 interviews conducted between May 2021 and February 2022, engaging both employers and employees across different types of SMEs: 10 desk-based, 8 on-site manual labour, and 9 mobile workforce SMEs. The data was analysed via a hybrid coding process, including deductive coding based on themes included in the interview guide and allowing for further codes to emerge from the data inductively.

resultsThe results showed noticeable differences in the perceived workplace food environment between the three SME types. Although structural food offerings (such as those offered through a workplace cafeteria) were mostly lacking among all SMEs, most desk-based SMEs offered a daily facilitated lunch, whilst employees of mobile workforce SMEs typically received a daily allowance. However, similarities were also observed across the three SME types as there was a noticeable absence of financial incentives, or food policies regarding healthy and sustainable food. Barriers to promoting a healthy and sustainable diet among employees were that SMEs did not identify healthy and sustainable consumption at the workplace as their responsibility, or as a 'problem' that needed to be solved. Both employers and employees found it difficult to identify opportunities to promote healthy and sustainable diets in the workplace.

conclusionsAcross all three types of SMEs, both employers and employees described a food environment that was limited in actively encouraging healthy and sustainable food choices at the workplace. Future research should focus on developing tailored workplace policies and interventions addressing the unique food environment characteristics of different types of SMEs to improve employee eating behaviour.