Your healthy workforce starts now: 1000 employers take on corporate challenge

More than 1000 organisations are taking part in a global initiative starting today that puts healthy employees at the centre of successful business.

Companies like Unilever and the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) have joined the Global Corporate Challenge (GCC) 100-day program which focuses on the idea that the future of workplace health lies in working with staff to help them take personal responsibility for themselves.

The GCC program, which has already had success for thousands of employees around the world, tackles the three major lifestyle-related risk factors that can affect employee performance and productivity: not enough physical activity, poor diet and lack of sleep.

The RBS has more than 25,000 employees set to start the program today.

“GCC’s approach to employee health and wellbeing, both physical and mental, is a great match with ours at RBS,” said John Hayes, RBS head of workplace services.

“This challenge brings people together into teams to work collectively to be more active, eat healthily and sleep better, so that they feel more energised and resilient. It’s a natural fit and we can’t wait to see the results.”

The 2015 challenge will integrate wearable technology such as the Fitbit, Jawbone and Garmin into the program’s flagship 100 Day Journey around the world - the virtual event that encourages a global community of participants to aim for a minimum of 10,000 steps a day.

A sleep app also allows employees to monitor the quality of their rest to address the growing issue of fatigue in the workplace. Previous reporting shows that on average the app’s insights helped increase a person’s sleep by 45 minutes per night.*

The 2014 pre-event survey** of participating employees reveals the growing need for successful wellbeing initiatives in the modern workplace with 61% of respondents reporting unhealthy dietary habits; 80% reporting they are in mainly sedentary positions (do not achieve 10,000 steps per day); 36% claiming they were stressed at work; and 59% claiming they have high blood pressure.

GCC’s founder Glenn Riseley said the organisations bringing the GCC to their employees are making a sound investment for their shareholders by improving their workforce’s engagement and performance.

“Even more importantly, they are creating a legacy for their people by putting them on the path to longer, healthier, happier lives,” he said.

*Source: GCC Insights Global Sleep Report. Based on 10,717 participants who started GCC Sleep and completed the GCC Sleep Survey. 2015. Verified by Dr David Batman, Chief Medical Officer.

**Source: GCC pre-event (207,324) survey data. 2014. Verified by Northeastern University, Boston.