Cadbury's runs smoothly under pressure : Wellness program keeps IT project on track

Purpose – Describes a wellness programme among 260 employees at Cadbury Trebor Bassett who were charged with implementing a global information‐technology project to a strict deadline. Design/methodology/approach – Provides the viewpoints of the company, the expert charged with introducing the programme, and a number of the participants. Findings – Reveals that sickness absence fell significantly and productivity rose sharply among the employees involved. Moreover, key health measurements taken before and after the programme revealed important improvements in all areas. Practical implications – Argues that employees can find it reassuring that, at a time when they are working under pressure, their company is monitoring their health and investing in their well‐being. Originality/value – Demonstrates that teams and individuals can perform beyond expectations, and even improve their health in high‐performance conditions, if they are empowered to take charge of their health.