Physical activity and health are closely related and can be enhanced in the workplace. Companies that offer employees spaces to train or benefits and welfare policies with a support for physical activity, benefit from an increase in the company’s productivity and reputation. The numbers of a recent research developed by Randstad on 33 different nations states that, in the world, 37% of companies are equipped with gyms, available for the employees during office hours by 33% of those interviewed.
The Benefits of Doing Physical Activity at Office
With the growth of attention towards workers’ needs, more and more companies are implementing their welfare system to guarantee a series of services to support employees: from petrol vouchers, to incentives for medical visits, up to gym bonuses. More and more often they support the purchase of courses and gym memberships.
For more than ten years, Ferrari has implemented the Formula Benessere project for employees to benefit from a complete medical check-up free of charge with useful information on nutrition and the ideal fitness program. They are then entitled to a gym membership and other activities that improve work-life balance. This is a full company investment of more than 4 million euros per year, which so far has been proved fundamental for attracting and retaining talent within the company.
Jumbo is also a case study: a shoe factory in the province of Verona which, after having organized postural gymnastics courses for line production workers to prevent negative repercussions on health caused by the repetitive gestures of work, today pays the gym for its employees. Available for everyone, without differences between roles and tasks, a subscription to the gym located a few steps away from the office is offered. Anyone who doesn’t wish to use the season ticket will have the option of granting it to a close family member. The choice is motivated by company management as “an help for the health and mood of employees”, and the result is a considerable increase in productivity.
Office Gymnastics, When the Gym is in the Headquarter
Other virtuous examples are provided by companies which decide to implement a gym within their headquarters. Doing physical activity during breaks, before or after work thus becomes easier, reducing travel times and optimizing the daily routine.
Level Office Landscape, in the project of the new TecnoFerrari headquarters, with CEO and architect Massimo Gianquitto as the Art Director, has made this philosophy real. In fact, inside the office block, a gym available to all employees has been set up. Equipped with treadmills, the office gymnastics area has a complete set of weights and accessories for dedicating to bodycare. Furthermore, TecnoFerrari allows workers to access cryotherapy, part of the wellness center designed by the company in the planning phase.
A changing room equipped with a locker to contain personal effects, while showers and bathrooms allow everyone to change before resuming work or going home at the end of the day. Even Sky, the pay per view giant based in Milan, provides a large gym space available for its employees: open from 7:00 to 23:00 from Monday to Saturday, complete with a personal trainer always available to support employees during training.
Yoga and Digital Courses for Physical Activity
The Modena headquarters of Tetra Pak is very sensitive to physical activity and health. In addition to healthcare, the employee benefits package includes a subscription to FitPrimeTv, a streaming platform with a library of videos to train even at home and provides a nutraceutical service. Furthermore, wellness courses are organized with various themes, yoga lessons as well as sports activities organized directly by the company’s internal sports group.
The successful stories of these Italian companies, combined with the virtuous examples coming from overseas, become increasingly inspiring for many small and medium-sized businesses which, to invest in their human resources, focus on the “wellbeing factor”.