Quicksearch’s health initiative in focus on HP:s centrefold
The health initiative gave better employees
HALMSTAD.
There are fruit instead of candy on the tables, the meetings are held afoot and the employees “compete” to see who is the healthiest. Here is the company that put big money on their employees well being.
PUBLISHED 03:02 UPDATED 07:40
An effort worth every penny.
– Yes, absolutely! It’s totally worth it. How you feel affects your entire life and we want that every one of us to feel good. Then we also gain more positive employees, claims Ulrica Björnhag, CEO at the IT-company Quicksearch at Slottsmöllan.
Health care contributions and perhaps a health check, there are many companies that offer their employees. However, larger health initiatives than that is something you hear less often. However, there are exceptions.
– Many probably offer healthcare out of sense of duty, but we do it with passion. I’m surprised that companies doesn’t take hold of it in a better way, especially with the knowledge that exists about the great impact good health has, says Björnhag.
At the IT-company health has gone hand in hand with the workplace for seven years. Back then Ulrica took contact with a health specialist firm in Halmstad – and the effects has not been slow in showing.
– Occupational healthcare felt so corny and when I was looking around for alternatives, I found Hälsoteamet. For example we have developers that sit still a lot so we wanted to prevent problems but at the same time wanted it to be pleasurable and with the focus of long-term better health. The ones that aren’t in the game from the beginning are the hardest to get to, but what we can see is that the most inveterate Coca-Cola drinkers are making progress. Another proof that this is working is that we have an unusually low sick leave.
Camilla Larsson runs Hälsoteamet and sees big improvements in the more than 30 number of employees.
– Some were totally unmotivated in the beginning but has turned into completely new people. We have worked a lot with the preventive piece with focus on strengthening the freshness. We have also done blood tests, strength tests, worked with the posture, and given suggestions for action, says Larsson.
When HP is there, Camilla holds an inspirational breakfast for the employees. She talks about the importance of diet and the good effects of exercise while the responsive “office rats” heaves in today’s first goal.
Other benefits that the employees is offered includes paid starting fee to the Prince’s memory (running race), free time at Söndrumshallen and if they want to train then it’s fine doing it during work hours.
Moreover, almost every quarterly meeting is exercise emphasized and every year a winner is selected that has made the largest health advances compared to the previous year.
– You compete against yourself. Everyone does as much or as little as they want. It can be small things like taking an apple when you rarely eat vegetables. Someone starts running, then some follows and then it becomes more and more. There is a buzz about what others have done and that is contagious, explains Björnhag.
Couldn’t it become too much of the good then, that employees feels pressured to be healthy?
– I had a fear that it could be so, and therefore I checked it with the staff, but there were no problems. It must not be excessive and each individual decides what to do.
Tony Thorsell: tt@hallandsposten.se
Roger Larsson: rl@hallandsposten.se
