It’s time to get flexible in the workplace – and we are not just talking about yoga!

The pandemic has flipped the workplace upside down.

The Conference Board of Canada recently reported that the percentage of in-office employees has moved from 89% pre-pandemic to a current model of 33%.

The workplace setting is evolving and employers will have to stay current and creative to connect their team from home with their team back in the office.

We’ve put four tips together for you on how to keep the team together as you navigate through a hybrid workforce.

1. Create a Monthly Social Event 

Some employees might not be ready for full days back in the office, but they might be eager to stop in and see what the office looks like after a year or more away from it.

Employers can set up monthly events to invite work from home employees into the office to reconnect with their coworkers while feeling out what office life looks like again.

This will allow for employees to feel more connected to the office even if it means they are not there everyday.

2. Offer virtual & in-office yoga classes

The weekly office yoga class is coming back to the office space (where permitted), as employers continue to focus on wellness and post-pandemic life becomes the new normal.

Connect employees through hybrid yoga classes by hosting an in office class and inviting WFH staff to join virtually.

Yoga and Meditation can help employees ease stress and have renewed focus when they return to their desks.

Innergy Corporate Yoga specializes in curating workplace wellness programs.

Book a consultation by visiting our website.

3. Fun Fridays

Remember when potlucks and group takeout were part of the workplace routine?

The pandemic has cancelled a lot of things but has also allowed for new opportunities.

Plan a virtual cooking class, trivia night or spa night for staff at home.

Employees can receive supplies in advance and meet online to get their mind off work and into some fun.

Lunchtime takeout can be shared in the office and at home with the birth of pandemic favorites like Skip the Dishes or Uber Eats.

4. Create flexibility in the workday

When workplace and home merge, like it has over the last year, it’s easy to see the overlap of responsibilities of your employees.

With kids going to school or making up missed appointments due to the pandemic, employers now have the opportunity to support their employees with time.

To help parents in the workplace, meetings can be scheduled around school pick up and drop off to ease stress or at home office hours may start before the morning commute to allow employees to get their work done earlier and get Fido to the park.

Adapting the traditional office hours will offer employees a better work life balance.

Welcome to Innergy Corporate Yoga’s new Interview Series: Spotlight on Wellness.

Each month we’ll share what top Human Resource and Technology leaders from US & Canadian companies are doing to take care of business, themselves and their teams.

#1 Name: Misty Lizarralde – Vice President Human Resources
Company & Location: Orlando Credit Union – Orlando, FL
Website: www.orlandocreditunion.org
# of Staff: 78
How long with company? 6 months

1) What (free or paid) wellness programs or resources do you currently offer your staff?

“We offer our staff two EAP programs. Through United we also offer programs for smoking cessation, weight loss, healthy pregnancy, support for diabetics and more. 

We also just rolled out a ‘Wellness Wednesday’ program. Each month we have a different theme. October will be Breast Cancer Awareness month, for example.

We also recently started offering a training to all staff on Thursdays twice a month. We teach on topics like resiliency and the power of positive thinking. It’s important for us to get people to open up and discuss the various issues that they are dealing with. We hope to have a lot more conversations with employees than we have had in the past.

We’re a smaller company and we don’t have a huge budget so we do have to think creatively.”

2) How and why is employee wellness important to your company? 

“Mental health is so important, especially with everything going on today. The last 18 months have really been key. We want to make sure the team is really ok – not just physically but mentally. We’re a smaller company but we try to do everything we can. Ensuring our staff are healthy and well has a big impact on the whole company. One of our branches did have a covid outbreak a while back and that was a huge impact to our bottom line. We make sure that we followed protocol and that staff had a healthy workplace to come back to.”

3) How has your company saved money by implementing these wellness strategies over the months (or years)? 

“Some of this is still fairly new just this year so I’m not sure. I’m hoping these changes impact us moving forward. I can definitely say that we have had less absenteeism in the last three months than in the previous three months.”

4) What obstacles and challenges are you still working on? 

“One challenge right now is to keep premiums as low as we can for healthcare for our team. Health care costs are not going to go down so we make sure we are always getting the best deal on benefits. We look at all of our carrier options each year. This is one of the challenges when your company is small. You have to ask the right questions to ensure you put together the right packages and programs.”

5) In your opinion, what is the one thing that many people in your position might miss? 

“It can be easy to lose sight of the mental health component. Until last year we didn’t realize how important it was to be flexible and offer different options. You have to be able to pivot quickly. Always keep sight of what is most important – your people.” 

6) Crystal ball: What does YOUR next level of success look like in this arena? 

“You always want the healthiest team possible. Being able to offer your team extra programs that are interesting is important. Not everyone needs to lose weight or quit smoking. We want to explore what else we can offer to the team. We want to provide options.”

#2 Name: Steve Ardire – Cofounder
Company: SignalAction + various other endeavors  – Seattle, WA
Website: https://signalaction.ai/
https://www.evrmore.io/
https://www.opeeka.com/
https://wefunder.com/evrmore/
https://www.forcemultipliersteveardire.com/videos
# of Staff: 3
How long with company (SignalAction)? 1 year

1) How and why is wellness important to you? 

“I haven’t been out of shape since high school. I’m within five pounds of my high school weight and I have both a healthy mind and healthy body. The stress of my job could be amazing but I manage it. If you can’t deal with the stress, don’t do a start up. And always be a lifelong learner.

Your environment can help with stress. I stay focused and get things done. I work out every single day. I used to do track and play football. Now I have a rowing machine and a home gym. I do things at home like burpees and pull ups. And I walk outside – walking is underrated. 

2) Have you tried yoga or meditation yet to help with things like stress?

“No, I haven’t tried yoga or meditation yet.”

3) How do you think most people have been affected by COVID-19?

“People have a lot more stress due to the pandemic. Everyone is impacted by this. We need to have outlets for dealing with stress. One easy thing everyone can do is get out and take a walk in nature.”

4) In your opinion, what is the one thing that many people in your position might miss? 

“You have to find your own path. Find ways to cope, whether that’s through books or guidance from someone else on the team. Practice what you preach.” 

#3 Name: Holly Green – CEO
Company: The Human Factor – Denver, CO
Website: www.thehumanfactor.biz
# of Staff: 5
How long with company? 20+ years

1) How and why is employee wellness important to your company? 

“I really believe that productivity leads to profitability. There is absolutely a direct connection. If we get burnt out and run down, we go into ‘problem mode’ instead of ‘problem solving mode’. Understand and figure out what gives you more energy – everyone is different.”

2) What wellness programs or resources do you currently partake in yourself?

“Well I’m terrible at meditation. There are enormous health benefits with meditation though. I read a lot – usually 4-5 books/week. I love gardening. I love cooking for myself and others. I just moved into a new house a month ago and I choose to do a lot of activities around the house that bring me joy.” 

3) What advice would you offer to someone else in your shoes? 

“Practice what you preach. Take a deep breath, slow down, get some sunshine, move your body, declutter your brain and monitor your media consumption – we are bombarded with an abundance of information and this can wear us down and depress us. I communicate these things to my team. Walk what you talk.” 

4) In your opinion, what is the one thing that many people in your position might miss? 

“There’s a hesitancy to talk to people about how they’re really doing. Managers are struggling with how much they can ask about a staff member’s personal life. We presume to know things about people. Managers should remember to be empathetic and help the team focus on what’s possible rather than ruminating or stewing. Make sure you’re asking the right questions. Managers should first acknowledge someone’s pain or struggle and ask ‘How can we prioritize this so it works for you?’ Be intentional. Pause, breathe and be intentional.”

#4 Name: Susie Smith – SVP of HR
Company: anonymous – Houston, TX
# of Staff: 7
How long with company? Almost 2 years

1) How and why is employee wellness important to your company? 

“I’ve been in the HR field for 25 years. Wellness is important to me personally. People are very stressed out right now because of COVID-19. Many are working in a home environment with their families. Wellness is much more than just losing weight and eating right, it’s also about being happy and healthy. You want employees to feel valued and be happy.”

2) How and why is saving money important to you & your company? 

“We’re always looking for ways to save money, yes. On average over the last 10 years health care expenses have gone up. You need to have your plan set up well and have a solid plan in place. We’ve always looked to see how we can make adjustments to our plan – a different carrier, etc. We look for ways to keep the cost of our healthcare plan down.”

3) How have you & your team been affected by COVID-19? 

“Overall our employees reacted well when they started working from home. I think a lot of employers were fearful sending people home to work but we were pleasantly surprised. Our staff did well. I think a lot of employers are now realizing they don’t need as much real estate as they thought they did. We are truly able to manage our employees effectively remotely. We have more to do in this area and everyone is learning. Everyone is working more hours than before covid. It’s been extremely difficult for working moms who are trying to balance their children being around.”

4) What wellness programs or resources have you seen at your current and past employers?

“The best benefits I’ve seen have been around culture. The culture of a company is key – you need a caring culture. Many of the companies where I have worked had caring leaders who treated people like they mattered. They put people’s well-being first. We’ve had things like a licensed counselor on site, a chapel/meditation room, fitness centre onsite, cafeteria, etc. Some of my past employers really went above and beyond.”

5) Do you believe that wellness strategies save a company money?

“Wellness programs absolutely save companies money. One company where I worked offered full physicals – blood work etc – once a year. We had access to a counselor, we could get checks  for blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. Over time you could really see how you were doing year after year.” 

6) Crystal ball: What does YOUR next level of success look like in this arena? 

“A more holistic program that looks at the well being of the whole employee – financial, spiritual, mental etc. We’ll look at the health and wellbeing of employees and implement fun and engaging programs. We’ll also have challenges where people who want to participate will be able to do so.”

#5 Name: Sabrina Permuth – Director of Human Resources
Company: Hillsborough County Tax Collector – Tampa, FL
Website: www.hillstax.org
# of Staff: 380
How long with company? 2.5 years

1) How has your team been affected by COVID-19?

 “We had several leaves of absence with our staff after the pandemic hit. It was the first time in my HR career that I saw this. A global pandemic changes things. Our staff is about 70% female and all of a sudden lots of single moms didn’t have child care so couldn’t come to work. We saw a loss in production. Our team are all essential workers as  the city still has to collect taxes. We didn’t have the luxury to close our doors. Everyone was scared to get COVID-19. We switched to an appointment based system, which helped, but that put more pressure on our phone system. We were getting a minimum of 1500 calls a day. We then had a hiring freeze so we had fewer staff to handle all the calls.”

2) What wellness programs or resources do you currently offer your staff? 

“We offer flu shots. This year of course everyone got a covid shot. We’ve done things like chair massages and we often lead challenges around things like drinking enough water, walking, etc. We run at least six challenges a year. Pre covid we had a gym with workout equipment. People walk outside.” 

3) How has your company saved money by implementing these wellness strategies over the months (or years etc)?

“There is a definite connection between wellness and saving money. Mental health is huge. My own son is bi-polar and just had his fourth unsuccessful suicide attempt.” 

4) Crystal ball: What does YOUR next level of success look like in this arena?

“There will be a fallout from covid and people are going to need wellness options. This week is my last week with the department and I’m not sure where I’m headed after this.

At my next job I’d like to foster an environment where everyone works together. I don’t want people to be afraid of failing and I’d like a well rounded, positive culture where people take mental health days when they need them.” 

Find more information on our Facebook page.

BENEFITS

Decreases stiffness and increases flexibility in back, massages and detoxifies internal organs (especially the kidneys), reduces stress, increases energy, increases range of motion and more.

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Sit slightly forward on your chair, feet flat on the floor, legs at a 90 degree angle. Contract your abdominal muscles slightly, lift up through your chest and lengthen your spine.  Drop your shoulders down your back.

Step 2: Cross your right leg over your left and place the back of your left hand to the inside of your left knee.  As you inhale, lengthen your spine and reach your right arm straight up.  As you exhale, twist to the right.  Bend your right arm and place the palm of your right hand either to the back of the chair or on top of it.  As you inhale, lengthen, and as you exhale, twist deeper.

Step 3: Keep your shoulders relaxed, chest lifted, breath easy. Twist more with your heart, not your neck.  Stay here for 5 breaths.

Step 4: To come out, release your right hand from the chair, and as you inhale, come back to centre, reaching straight up with your right hand.  As you exhale, release your hand down.  Uncross your legs, place both hands on your thighs, then repeat on the other side.

Step 5: When you have finished on both sides, do a Seated Forward Bend, then roll up and return to work.

What is Virtual Corporate Yoga anyway?

Check out our new Explainer video!

Virtual Private Yoga for Busy Professionals

for 1-2 people

Experience yoga in a virtual private setting.

Sessions are customized to meet your needs & goals.

Each yoga session is live & interactive.

Contact us to book.

Start a Virtual Meditation class with your Office Team 

Thanks to the magic of virtual meeting programs like Zoom, we offer corporate, group & private meditation sessions from the comfort of your own home.

Book your FREE virtual consultation today.

Monday, August 9th, you are invited to an exclusive, FREE, online webinar style event for yoga teachers.

Register by emailing info@innergycorporateyoga.com. Spots are limited and there is no replay.

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If you live in Canada or the USA and are looking for opportunities to teach yoga, please fill out an application form.

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