Sysco GB rolls out ‘Night Club’ to support night shift workers

Sysco GB has introduced a ‘Night Club’ programme to support night workers across its British business.

Introduced across 24 sites so far and training more than 1,100 colleagues, the programme looks to support colleagues working through the night, helping to create a better and healthier experience.

It follows research that highlighted the challenges night shift workers face around poor nutrition and sleep disorders, as well as reports of mental health issues.

The foodservice supplier has introduced 40 ‘sleep champions’, including four lead champions to represent each of the business’s regions, who will provide support to colleagues.

In conjunction with specialist training provider The Liminal Space, Sysco has built a training programme to address some of the specific needs of the night shift.

The programme has been designed to tackle individual issues as well as providing data that will allow Sysco to make positive changes.

Units within the training programme include diet and exercise, mental health, chronotype, light and environment. These are delivered through examples, quizzes and activities, while all of the sessions contain practical tips and handouts such as recipe suggestions.

Early indications are that the programme has already improved retention rates and employee engagement, Sysco said.

“Often, the night shift can be the forgotten shift, but in our business, they are the largest cohort of colleagues and it’s important that we provide them with the support they need for their unique challenges,” said Sysco GB HR director Katrina Simpson-Haines.

“Night working is notoriously difficult and providing colleagues with some tried and tested approaches to managing sleep patterns and nutrition should help them to have a better experience both at home and in work.”