How Fit is Your Office?

Look around your office right now. How do your colleagues look? Fit, toned, energized, 'match ready'? And what about you? You feeling fit and healthy at the moment and on top of your game?

Chances are that the answer to these questions is no. But it's not a gym so what does it matter what shape your office in.?

Well, that's where you're wrong.

Businesses lose billions each year because of poor health amongst their employees either because of rising absenteeism or because of the increased cost of providing health care. In short, the less healthy your employees, the more likely they are to away from the office (costing businesses money). But people get sick sometimes, that can't be helped. What can be helped is making changes in offices to help people deal with stress and other ailments that lead to absenteeism and bring those numbers right down. Not wishing to simplify this complex issue too much, small changes can make a huge impact to businesses if employers engaged a little more with their staff.

Try these suggestions out on your employees:

1.Introduce sporting events that are inclusive and not just 'all about the boys'. Think beyond soccer tournaments and get mixed teams together. This really brings out the healthy competitive spirit amongst staff, promotes loyalty to the company and energises the workforce. Try buying a company Wii Fit and start a tournament and see how quickly people get into the spirit.
2. Supplying a daily fruit bowl in the office - small thing but it sends out the message that your employees health is your concern and you want them to eat well and be well and you're paying for it.
3. Reconsider some of your current employee benefits and perhaps shift the budget into more useful areas. Subsidised on-site back massage; personal training sessions for groups; installing a bike rack and showers to encourage staff to get out of their cars.
4. When working with our clients, we always try to do one-to-one consultations to get to the root of what each employees life is like beyond the office. Then we can suggest quick fitness and relaxation tips that fit around their busy lives rather than dump them with an unrealistic plan that will never work in the long term. Listening to employees is key to making the changes stick.
5. Offer yoga or relaxation classes - these have a HUGE effect on eliminating staff stress and sends the message that you take some of the responsibility of helping your staff unwind after work.
6. Be authentic. Gimmicks always sounds like gimmicks and employees see right through them. The company should embrace and support healthy changes they introduce and managers should drive these forward. Be flexible with employees so they can take part in the schemes you set up. Perhaps reward a day off for winners of a tournament.

These changes may not sounds revolutionary but they will have a positive effect on staff attitudes, attendance and productivity. Your company is only as fit as your workforce after all.


Photograph by Joe Hoover (Flickr)