This week The New York Times wrote a great article on whether wellness offerings can fix the workplace. I thought it drove home a few great points including:
Activities that focus on stress reduction can be more beneficial than a lunch and learn about stress reduction: Rather than give employees a lecture about the importance of reducing stress, such as through yoga or meditation, offer them yoga or meditation.
Whatever the activity, the intent behind offering it needs to be sincere and not just "checking a box": We've all worked at places where leadership or HR is offering a wellness activity because everyone else is. Employees know when leadership supports wellness offerings.
Rather than offer activities to reduce stress, examine why your employees are stressed: Wellness programs don't work if they don't address the underlying root cause of an issue. Why are your employees stressed? Is it because they don't feel valued? Are they burnt out? What can the organization do to change their culture and make their employees happier so these kinds of activities are enjoyed but not needed?
Here at Obstacle Fitness, we're passionate about obstacle courses and we love companies that appreciate our passion and want to offer our services to employees, whether it's team building or helping your corporate team train for an upcoming obstacle course race. Reach out to us today for more information on how we can bring Obstacle Fitness to your organization!