When Work Works For Your Fitness

When you think about work, do you envision stress relief, having more energy, weight management, and camaraderie? I bet the answer is an overwhelming “no.” But today, as competition for jobs remains tight, companies are offering non-traditional benefits in the hope their employees remain balanced, mentally fit and peaceful in the workplace. 

We spend a large chunk of our lives at the workplace, where looking at a computer screen in a sedentary position for eight hours per day not only can lead to physical ailments, but also can create computer rage, depression and/or obesity. So kudos to the companies in Brevard County who are making a concerted effort to encourage exercise as the best medicine to reduce stress, create energy, promote good heart health and foster teamwork.

At StarStaff, we offer the DeskDoc, a free-standing desk that sits on top of the workstation. This gives employees the option of standing vs. sitting by adjusting the height of the desk. This adaptation has reduced our employees’ stress as they can stand, stretch and move around. 

When it comes to fitness, people consistently struggle with time management. Larger companies typically have the space and resources to create on-site gyms, allowing employees more flexibility in fitting in a workout. Smaller employers may purchase offsite gym memberships for employees. 

Mariam Shapira, owner of Protection Partners Insurance Agency, an Allstate Agency with offices in Suntree and Boynton Beach, offers an annual membership to Planet Fitness. She also keeps her corporate office refrigerator stocked with healthy consumables. Mariam said her customer service representatives are often inundated with calls during lunchtime, meaning her employees have to rotate lunch breaks. To combat the extended time before some employees get to eat lunch, she keeps fruits, cheese, salads and granola bars on hand for them.

Recently I asked several clients what fitness benefits outside of a routine gym membership they offer employees. I was surprised to learn of a new benefit being offered by Alex Smith, owner of Training Evolved, a personal safety and tactics company. Alex recently provided a corporate self-defense workshop for employees of my client to address workplace violence threat mitigation. This unique benefit empowered the employees through teaching situational awareness should a violent incident occur at work, and by educating them on signs of abuse happening to a co-worker or a customer. 

CareerSource Brevard has a Steps Program, which encourages staff to walk a virtual course from Florida to Virginia, consisting of 10,000 steps per day. Cash incentives increase the farther the individual walks. Progress is tracked via an electronic device and is marked on a wall map to encourage healthy competition. More than 74% of the staff participated, and 44% reached their goal. 

Kudos to the organizations that continue to think outside of their comfort zone and offer peace of mind by providing wellness benefits, and then really go beyond with pet insurance, paid volunteer time off and other concierge benefits.     

StarStaff President and Headhunter Avery Plavin has been helping businesses expand their human capital for over 20 years. She offers contingency and retained staffing including permanent, temporary, and temp-to-perm. She has partnered with Fortune 100 companies, private entities and smaller businesses to help facilitate their staffing needs. At StarStaff, Avery helps clients prosper by providing one-of-a-kind staffing services that include competitive analysis, tools, expert resume writing, and resources — all allowing both the individual and organizations to remain competitive in our ever-changing market.

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