Sainsbury’s has piloted a workplace wellness initiative to help increase activity levels and reduce sick days among employees.
The FitStop pilot, managed by exercise firm Power Plate, was run at the supermarket chain’s Coventry office. It encouraged employees to perform a three-minute series of stretches on a Power Plate training machine during their work day.
Around 85 employees received a FitStop induction, with a random sampling of 41 staff completing a bi-monthly questionnaire during the six-month pilot.
Results of the pilot initiative include:
- A 37% decrease in the number of employees who spent more than seven hours a day sedentary.
- A 67% decrease in those that felt unable to cope with workloads due to stress.
- A 70% increase in the number of employees who did not take any sick days during the final three months of the trial.
- Almost 90% of participants said they noticed increased energy levels and productivity as a result of the pilot.
Tracy Thornton, HR service implementation manager at Sainsbury’s, said: “Feedback from employees was fantastic, with staff using the machine daily to perform various stretches, and for longer workouts before and after work.
“It proved to be a convenient way for staff to re-engergise during the working day. A number of our staff reported an increase in productivity, reduction in stress and improved circulation as a result.”
Natalie Prescott, UK sales manager at Power Plate, added: “The results of our pilot study with Sainsbury’s shows that FitStop is an investment in staff welfare, helping to combat the effects of sedentary behaviour and encouraging them to increase their levels of activity.”
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