Wellbeing in the office: No girls allowed

With wellbeing initiatives and healthy living programmes now a feature in the majority of businesses across the nation, the focus of attention has moved away from whether investing in the wellness of staff is a worthwhile proposition and on to how businesses achieve the best return on their investment in these schemes. For many businesses the value of these schemes is measured financially by examining related costs and savings, primarily staff absence, staff turnover and productivity. For other organisations, the success of wellness programmes is judged by the number of people who get involved in the initiatives and the impact such programmes have on behaviour and performance. Confident that wellness initiatives work, the focus of those organising the programmes is now clearly fixed on maximising engagement and uptake of the programmes. One major challenge in this area is how to involve more men. Traditionally, the female members of the workforce are keen to learn as much as they can about healthy eating, efficient exercise techniques, weight management, stress relief and how to balance work and life. Men on the other hand, in true 'no I’m not stopping to ask for directions' fashion, can be reluctant to take advice in these areas.