Creating a positive, fun and engaging work environment is essential for employee satisfaction. 42 percent of workers have left a job due to a stressful environment and another 35 percent have considered changing jobs due to stress.
Greatist recently highlighted the 44 Healthiest Companies to Work for in America. Here are a few of the things all of these companies had in common. Maybe you can implement a few of these within your recreation center to ensure your employees enjoy coming to work.
Encourage an Active Lifestyle: As recreation professionals, you have an advantage in this area. It is easy to encourage employees to stay active and take time to workout, considering you basically work in a gym. Try scheduling a weekly yoga, cycle or Pilates class for all employees. Other options include providing fitness trackers, launching group fitness challenges, offering the option for standing desks or starting a bike-to-work reimbursement program. At SolidFire, employees can receive $150 per month for trading in their parking pass in favor of an alternative mode of transportation.
Healthy Environment: Again you might have an advantage here considering many campuses have a registered dietitian or nutritionist available. Enlist the help of the campus nutritionist and send out weekly emails with healthy recipes, host workshops and keep the break room stocked with healthy food options. Kaiser Permanente revamped their cafeterias by offering healthy options, working to eliminate sugar-sweetened beverages and even put 18 percent of the company’s annual food expense toward locally or sustainably produced items.
Take a Break: No one can work hard all the time. Eventually people need a break to re-fuel. Several companies have adopted an unlimited vacation policy. For example General Electric recently began offering unlimited vacation to about 43 percent of its salaried U.S. workforce. Several companies like Google allow employees to donate vacations days to coworkers who may need extra days in a time of need.
Healthy Incentives: Encourage employees to develop healthy habits beyond fitness. At General Electric employees who do not use tobacco pay less in health care contributions than those who do. Another example is EMC, who has a healthy rewards program that allows employees to pay lower medical contributions if they do things like get a flu shot or sign up for a gym membership.
Mental Health: With everything going on both inside and outside of work, life can get stressful. Try hosting stress reduction workshops and encourage employees to confide in one another. Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants provide an Employee Assistance Program that helps workers deal with personal problems and offers short-term counseling and referral services.
Philanthropy: Community outreach is good for the soul and of course karma. Encourage employees to take time get involved with the community. Twitter hosts two global days of service per year so its employees can give back to the community. Hasbro, Inc. encourages employees to give back, receiving up to four paid hours each month to volunteer with an organization that benefits kids.
Have Fun: Gather employees for frequent happy hours or company outings. Red Ventures hosts an annual company trip to the Caribbean or Mexico. The company also host an RV friends and family night where the entire campus is transformed into a carnival for employees and their guests. Sparks host special events for employees such as summer BBQ’s, chili cook offs, holiday parties and bring your dog to work program.
