Working it out together: Health and wellness in the workplace

Al Fox

Should the workplace really step into the realm of employee’s own health care? It is certainly debatable.

But, if sick days are a problem, and improving productivity is a concern to the business, which it certainly should be, then I would argue it is a vital ingredient of running a company.

Corporate fitness is becoming increasingly essential to business, with employers realising that workers who are fit are more productive, more motivated and take less sick time. We’ve been practising what we preach at Fox Agency, and for the past 18 months have run personal training sessions every Wednesday, where attendance is consistently over 90%.

Since then, the agency has changed a great deal. There is great team spirit, people are setting up initiatives of their own (such as the Friday lunch run), and the kitchen is full to the brim with bags of protein, salad and roast chicken.

It is through our own experiences that we can see the core benefits from a well thought-out corporate wellness package. These are threefold: increased performance, cost savings and attracting talent. Let’s take a look at each of these in more detail.

Increased performance

Despite the time required for fitness sessions within work hours, we at Fox Agency have actually seen productivity increase. The fresh air, headspace and, of course, adrenaline, mean we come back with clearer thought and increased energy.

Beyond this, an all-new company culture develops. Looking back at what our company was like before the fitness initiative, you would have seen cakes, biscuits and shop-bought sandwiches all over. Salad in the fridges would be scoffed at, rather than scoffed, like they are nowadays.

This new culture is driven by the community feel that working out together brings. Directors will train with graduates, designers with account managers, and people from different levels and departments will all mix. We now train as a team, work as a team and support each other as a team.

Cost savings

This is the headline message that any business owner will look out for. That increased performance we mentioned, well it equals more hours available for winning and carrying out new work. It means we have the time for our own marketing and PR. It means we can be more creative and take extreme care in the work we do.

But also consider this. The cost of sick days in the UK is a whopping £32 billion. Now, whatever share of that your business contributes is unknown, but it is understood that sick days reduce the ability to generate revenue. Even short-term sickness will push back timelines, resulting in missed deadlines and potentially harmed relationships. Longer-term sickness results in the need for additional hires or freelancers. When the average person spends the majority of their time at work, then work is clearly the best place to tackle this health issue.

Attract talent

The best people want to work for the best companies. If they truly are the best, then they will have plenty of choice, and will look beyond pay and to the unique benefits that differentiate the companies.

Of course, people will care about pensions, car or travel allowances and whether or not the Christmas close down uses holiday allowance or not. But the modern employee now looks for more meaningful signs of a good company. The culture matters hugely, and how much the company is seen to truly care about their employees matters a great deal.

A health and fitness initiative shows potential recruits that they will be cared for. Training alongside the founding CEO means you will most certainly get facetime with them, and can make the impression you want, to further your career.

There are, of course, even more benefits. These are just the top three, in my opinion, that business leaders and owners will care about most since they affect the bottom line. What we have also seen at Fox shows the trickle-down effect too, with the new fitness fanaticism reaching beyond the workplace and into our staff’s personal lives; with employees saying they’re spending more time playing sports with their kids, and eating healthier at home.

Health and fitness initiatives at work clearly aren’t just for companies based in California – as we have proved. If you run a business, get started today. Invite staff to join in and grow your corporate fitness initiative organically. Soon enough, you’ll be downing kale shakes and ‘no pain, no gain’ will be the inspirational message on your laptop’s wallpaper.

Al Fox is Director at Fox Agency