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HR and diversity professionals.
My Family Care asks Craig: Every year people make resolutions to change something that didn't work last year. When it's the balance between work and life that isn't working, how can employees be supported through personal and professional changes that benefit both the employee and the company?
What a question!
We all know the statistics and have personal experiences of "New Years Resolutions" including getting healthy or fit! We all know that alongside the high gym and health club membership sales in January comes the sharp decline in usage in the months that follow.
So how can we stick to our goals and support employees with both their professional and personal goals? Fit For Sport, the UK's leading healthy lifestyle activities provider have an SAS philosophy (SIMPLE - ACHIEVABLE - SUSTAINABLE) for all projects, initiatives, goals and our employees.
Keep it SIMPLE
If you haven't ever been active don't set your goal to high, maybe start with taking the stairs not the lift that week/month.
As an employer the theory that a healthy workforce is a more productive workforce is true and providing employees with the opportunity to take part in physical activity is key. This could be as simple as playing table tennis in the office at lunch time, providing staff with benefits to opt into the cycle scheme and/or offering activity sessions throughout the week for employees.
Keep it ACHIEVABLE
When goals aren't achieved people feel frustrated and down which leads to low motivation, yet when goals are achieved individuals feel as sense of success and accomplishment leading to motivation and the desire to set new challenges (but always remember top keep it SAS!)
Make sure it's SUSTAINABLE
We know the weather varies and workloads change, make sure the duration and parameters are sustainable. For example if you set a running goal, you can run on the road or on the treadmill regardless of the levels of precipitation and the dropping mercury.
"Good news" stories and/or case studies can be promoted in monthly internal newsletters as well as promoting volunteering/charity opportunities to the staff - this doesn't only aid the chosen charity it also provides a focus for groups of employees to work together which can be mirrored throughout the need for teams to achieve their professional goals.
As an employer, we are committed to ensuring our staff are active and promoting a healthy lifestyle which results in a productive healthy workforce (as well as significantly less days off!) - ensuring we always stick to our SAS philosophy.
Craig Jones, Operations Director, Fit For Sport
