Research by consulting firm Gartner this year found that working from home is here to stay. Even in 2021, the ‘trend’ will continue, working from home is becoming more popular and the well-being of the colleague/employee is in the spotlight especially now.

Besides the fact that remote working is a great cost advantage and better for the environment, it also causes the purpose of the office to change. The office is no longer a place to work long hours in a row each day, but will become a social hub to meet colleagues, a flex work place and an exception of one or two days in the week.

The social aspect is important in the current situation because employees are isolated at home and by using the office as a meeting place once or twice a week, they can reconnect with colleagues. Not through a camera or laptop screen, but in real life. This is an important component to combat isolation at home and to ensure the mental health of the employee. OneFit for Business can also help with this.

The well-being of employees becomes even more important

Health is always paramount, of course, but the last 12 months it has become clear that employees need more than just fresh fruit in the office or a nice Friday afternoon drink. The ‘COVID-19 burnout‘ is becoming a thing and the issue of absenteeism is also high on HR managers’ agendas.

Especially now that people are moving less at home and cannot be monitored daily at the office, it is important to pay a lot of attention to their (mental) health.

Get employees moving (again)!

People are exercising way less now that they work so much from home. Walking around the office, having coffee with colleagues, cycling back and forth, or going to the (in-house) gym after work: it’s just not happening at the moment. The result: less exercise, more time spent behind a laptop, and more physical complaints.

However, it’s important to ensure that employees get enough exercise, so that they maintain a strong immune system, are fitter at work and maintain a fresh mindset. As a company, you can already do quite a few things yourself.

Organize online workouts, give employees an extra half-hour break in the afternoon to go for a walk, let colleagues do challenges together to keep moving, for example. By counting daily steps, offering stretching exercises, or gifting them a massage, for example, you can go a long way.

It’s important to listen to your employees: what do they need? What do they miss at home during work and what could they use help with? A good tip for HR managers could be to research this and adjust the activities on offer accordingly.

OneFit for Business has also taken the initiative to enable employees to get enough exercise: online workouts for the entire company, which are offered via Zoom. In this way, OneFit ensures that colleagues remain active together.

Sports: also a ‘must-have’ on a social level

Besides the fact that working out is good for the general health of your employee and therefore they maintain a good resistance (read: less sick leave), it is also a way to bring colleagues together and increase the sense of belonging (at the company). It’s also a great way to connect outside of the work hours and office, now that they all work from home so much.

The purpose of the office is changing to a social hub, so make sure to use it to your benefit. During office days, for example, workouts can be scheduled, colleagues can catch up on certain things and there is social connection. Tip: make sure that socializing can be done in a safe way (by scheduling coffee walks, for example) – this will promote employee motivation.

So it’s easy to add sports activity to a workday, online or offline. Offer employees the opportunity to be active with each other, encouraging them to do more things together. It also promotes their mental ability on work-at-home days to push through and not let the walls cave in on them.

Want to know more about OneFit for Business and how you can implement it in your office life post-corona? Check out the website, request the brochure, or get in touch by scheduling a call.

Stay fit, stay healthy

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