Posted by Health Wellness | Posted in Health And Wellness In The Workplace | Posted on 18-08-2009
To succeed in encouraging physical activity during the workday, you must discover what employees need and want. They are the people whose behavior you are trying to effect, so it’s important to be aware of their needs and gain their backing.
The Employee Interest Survey
Ask employees questions that allow you to assess such key characteristics as age, sex, social relationships, family responsibilities and current physical activity participation.
It’s significant to know this information so that your physical exercise initiative meets employees’ needs. Workers aren’t going to participate in something they’re not interested in.
Ask workers what they want, and then start changes that fit with their needs and working conditions. For example, workers may not wish to do activities that make them sweat, because they do not want to shower at work.
Ask employees what the business could do to make it easier for them to be more physically active during work. If there’s a common trend throughout your organization, a single change could affect much people.
By way of example, suppose a big group shows interest in biking to work. They may want to shower and change after their commute. You might give priority to installing workplace showers and changing facilities. Secure bike storage might be valuable as well.
If you’re launching a program that requires going outside, begin in the spring. By the time winter comes around, participation is already a habit.
Involving employees is key to expanding physical exercise participation rates. People are more willing to take part in and support physical exercise initiatives when they are involved in decision making.
The following tips will help you produce your own employee interest survey:
• Keep it short (no longer than 10 minutes to complete).
• Make sure employees know why you are doing the survey.
• Rather than using all open-ended questions, which can be long and difficult to analyze, ask people to choose from a drop-down list of possible responses.
• Ask for comments and suggestions in one open-ended question at the end.
• Make it confidential and anonymous. Do not request information that may identify a person.
• If you’re including a list of possible programs or environmental changes, be sure your workplace has the facilities and resources to offer them.