Media firm Carat has launched a wellness month for its London-based employees.
Some 350 employees have the opportunity to take part in 50 varied activities over the course of the month, which aims to help staff prioritise their health and wellbeing.
The activities include trapeze lessons, rave-ercise classes, reflexology, a business-wide table tennis tournament, pole dancing, floristry lessons, a walking map to nearby art galleries and public spaces, cooking classes and a range of lectures covering creativity, leadership and even flirting tips.
This is the fourth consecutive year that Carat has run a wellness month for staff.
This year’s event, which launched on 1 February, focuses on the issue of sleep deprivation and its effect on employees’ performance in the workplace.
Carat is offering its staff access to a sleep pod, provided by This Works, which will serve as a designated nap station for employees to use as they wish. The sleep pod was brokered by the organisation’s committee, which is made up of employee volunteers.
The media organisation is also running an employee sleep challenge, sponsored by This Works, which includes staff filling out a questionnaire about how they have been behaving and feeling. Employees are also asked to commit to having one extra hour of sleep a day for a month to see if it makes a difference. Those who opt to take part are entered into a competition to win prizes.
Matthew Hook (pictured), managing director at Carat, said: “The success of our business depends on creating an environment where brilliantly talented people fully realise their potential, and no one can do that unless they feel at their best, both emotionally and physically.
“The digital economy has created exciting opportunities for businesses like ours, but we need to recognise that the environment in which we operate can be complex, demanding and sometimes stressful.
“The wellness month is an opportunity for Carat to stop and reflect, ensure we are taking time to look after ourselves, and also to come together to do some really fun things that help us to get to know each other better.”