London technology firm, WM Reply, has run its first wellness week to promote employee health and wellbeing. The week involved a range of activities and wellbeing initiatives, from team push-ups at 2pm every day to internal step-count contests over the five days.
Prizes included a selection of fitness and wellbeing products, such as running shoes and fitness trackers. The company also carried out ‘gift drops’ to all employees in both the Chester and London offices, such as sports water bottles and fruit baskets. WM Reply was keen to ensure it did not impose any lifestyle changes on employees, or become ‘preachy’ about health and wellbeing, hence limiting the challenges to just a week.
Employees averaged just less than 35,000 steps over the five days and 80% of staff took part in the push-up challenge. WM Reply adds that it is likely that some of the ideas and ethos behind the wellness week will be sustained over the longer term.
Richard Acreman, Partner at the firm, said:
‘Our vision was always that many of the ideas introduced will continue to be used long after the wellness week is over, but only if it is really what our team wants. We hope this week might also inspire other businesses to take similar steps and improve the wellbeing of the sector on a wider scale.’
Pub company, Greene King, has also run a week-long wellbeing week at its head office and depots in Bury St Edmunds and support centre in Burton. This is the second year the company has run the week, which includes workshops, challenges, health promotion activities, webinars and advice from a variety of experts. The week involved an office-wide pedometer challenge, supported by a number of wellbeing week ‘champions’ in the different locations.
Andrew Bush, Group HR Director at the company, said:
‘We want to create an environment where our employees can achieve their full potential and, to do this, we need to be aware of and care for our teams’ wellbeing and mental health. We are a big employer in Bury and Burton so we have a responsibility to care for those who work for us and we believe our people will benefit from the week.’