Firms wake up to workplace wellness

Regular exercise will lead to better performance from staff in their various roles. Photo / Dean Purcell

New Zealand companies are always getting shamed by OECD statistics which point out their low productivity.

But rather than urging NZ employees to work even more hours in the day, health experts are recommending instead New Zealand workers take a break during the day with some form of exercise. Then they will return to their work, energised and more productive.

According to research collated by Southern Cross, health and wellness programmes can contribute to increased productivity by supporting employees' ability to achieve and reducing the number of sick days taken. A healthier workforce also results in stronger championing of the company to others. An Australian study showed workers with a high health and well-being (HWB) score, worked about 143 effective hours compared with 49 effective hours worked per month for a worker with a low HWB score.

As we enter the autumn season, the sniffles have started in offices across the country, particularly in high-stress work environments where emphasis is on the work, not play. Far-sighted employers are trying to follow the latest advice.

Fidelity Life CEO, Milton Jennings, who jogs most days during his lunch break, was reminded of the importance of a healthy lifestyle when he attended a high-level management course a couple of years ago at INSEAD, the renowned business school in France.

At the beginning of the course all the participants were given a physical and afternoon tea was carrots and celery sticks. The message was to have "a healthy body and a healthy mind", says Jennings. The course also recommended meditation, relaxation exercises, making sure there was balance with a spiritual element.

Most New Zealand CEOs, like Jennings, make time for exercise so they stay healthy and handle stress well, even if it means getting up at 5am.

Air New Zealand CEO Rob Fyfe showed his gym-slim body when doing the haka recently after Air New Zealand won the Airline of the Year award. Jennings is a big believer in exercise putting a stop to absenteeism.

"I'm quite proud, I have not had a sick day in 15 years."

While the senior executives are signed up, it may be less easy to get the rest of the staff involved. Jennings says his direct report team get the message loud and clear.

"There is a focus on health with them, I encourage them to exercise and have a balanced life, it's not all about work." He has been vociferous about the smokers in the office and is pleased that four are planning to give up from April 1.

Exercise during the lunch break is encouraged in the firm, there is a walking group which goes out every day. The Fidelity Life offices are 50m away from the Olympic swimming pool in Newmarket and a lot of staff use it.

Jennings plans to put a gym into the Fidelity building, when he finds room. He envisages providing the equipment and perhaps organising a trainer to come in from time to time.

The company also participates in the 5km Millennium Hotels & Resorts Corporate Challenge every year - about 70 of the 130 Auckland staff were involved last year.

The firm also runs a pedometer challenge, supplying each member of staff with a pedometer so they could monitor their exercise. The department which measured the most was taken out to lunch by Jennings.

The fit CEO says he is trying his hardest to get his staff exercising, but admits you can lead a horse to water but you cannot make it drink.

The advice from Acumen Republic general manager, Karyn Arkell, is to offer programmes in which teams have a genuine interest. She says the Wellington staff of the integrated communications agency play indoor soccer once a week, whereas the Auckland office has pilates classes, and at times of high pressure, they will have a 10-minute massage session.

Pilates is good at taking your mind away from it all, says Arkell. Working mothers feel guilty about exercising in the work day, particularly if they are squeezing a full day into fewer hours.

"I fell into that camp because I was working less than full time, it was especially hard to justify [exercise] in my own mind - but I should practice what I preach," says Arkell.

The GM has also brought in breathing experts, to help staff understand how their breathing patterns change, especially at times when they feel under pressure.

For its pilates classes, Acumen used re:ab, a boutique studio in Ponsonby that offers a combination of pilates, physiotherapy and massage.

Re:ab personal trainer Kirsty Gregg says employers win brownie points helping staff find ways of exercising.

Employers shouldn't worry about exercise taking time out of work, she says. "They know that they are going to make up that time because they will be more attentive." she says.

Our bodies are not designed to be sitting at a desk all day long, says Gregg. Her advice? "Build some strength as well as doing cardiovascular exercises." For women it's important to help build bone density as they grow older, she says.

"Men are more often going to be out having a social time in a physical way," says Gregg. They tend to have more bravado - they will start with an exercise regime which might be from 5-10 years ago.

A more moderate approach is warranted. "It's about little steps," says Gregg.

Exercise should be done in moderation. She thinks you can do enough in just 20 minutes a day, five times a week if done right.

Ian Turley, national sales manager at Les Mills NZ, says while a lot of businesses can see the benefits of having a healthy workforce, they are not necessarily willing to put up the money for it. He would like to see more companies subsidising their staff to help them make the commitment to a gym or any exercise they choose.

"A lot of businesses actually don't understand wellness as much as they should do," he says.

Les Mills has a number of corporate clients, some introduced through its alliances with Southern Cross Healthcare or Synergy Health. The company which has 10 gyms around the country is building a new gym near Britomart, next to the Vector stadium and a number of new head offices.

"The corporate market is one that is very attractive to us from a potential membership point of view- the corporate market is a captive audience," he says.

A lot of senior people already know the benefits, says Turley, who adds that the new Westpac CEO, George Frazis, has recently joined Les Mills in Auckland.

Les Mills likes to inject some fun for the corporate market, running boot camp courses where celebrities head up corporate teams. One size does not fit all, adds Turley. But he thinks the tide is turning. People are realising if they want to attract better employees, they have to offer health and well-being programmes."

BankLink, the award winning company which supplies the accounting profession, is one employer putting its money where its mouth is.

It heavily subsidises its staff's gym membership at its modern head office in Mt Eden.

BodyTech is in the same building as BankLink. And as a sponsor of Rowing New Zealand, the company has its own corporate rowing team. The staff are encouraged to go and watch the national championships.

The philosophy at BankLink is to really look after the staff, says Richard Reese, the firm's chief operating officer.

"The three founding directors still work in the business and put a lot of effort into providing a great place to work and benefits that enable staff to relax and enjoy themselves when they need to."

BankLink staff are also encouraged to do the Taupo bike race - teams are entered, and in a team-building exercise, staff come over from Australia to participate.

Finally, at Round the Bays, all staff are invited and a tent and barbecue are provided.