Back in August you may have read a post from us about something we like to call the 'Showcase Wellshop Policy'. Millie (our Showcase CEO and Captain) decided to give us the gift of exercise and simultaneously, the gift of time.

The staff of Showcase Workshop were presented with a policy that stated that we were to be given the ability to fit exercise and wellness into our working lives, without detriment to our personal lives OR or our pay packet.

The policy stated thus:

Staff are encouraged to get exercise in during paid work hours so it can be prioritised in the part of the day that they most enjoy or are most likely to exercise in, and they are provided with gym access if they so need it.

All great ideas need peer reviewing so we launched into a 3 month trial. We were checking to see if:

  • Our productivity went down or up
  • If we felt happier and healthier (mentally and physically)
  • If we increased our goal achievement

So after 3 months of stretching and running and lifting, apart from being sweaty - what was the outcome?

We took a staff survey and asked what they really thought about the past three months, and if they felt any different! We didn't ask for metrics like weight or measurement changes - we're only concerned with overall health and happiness.

Here are some key quotes from Showcase staff.

On Productivity:

“Because my exercise is scheduled during the work day, I am more motivated to get as much done as possible because I know I will lose an hour at some point. I also feel in general healthier and I think that makes me ultimately better at my job - it's like a chain reaction really. You exercise more so you don't feel like you should ruin it by eating unhealthy food, then eating healthy food makes your brain and body run better = better at your job. #science”

“As I often workout at lunchtime, I feel I can focus better on my tasks before and afterwards, without a break I feel less productive between 12 - 2pm so I use my less productive time to workout. If I run into a problem before I work out, I often get new ideas how to fix it before I return to work.”

On Happiness:

“I think the atmosphere at the office is happier & perkier. Also giving us the opportunity to work out during the day was the final step to start working out again for me and I am so grateful for that.”

On Health:

“The Policy has left me with no excuses and more accountable for my wellness. I can’t claim to have no time to fit in a workout.”

Overall our work productivity has significantly improved, and our tracking metrics for goals has also been meeting targets more consistently than before the policy.

The verdict? We've decided to permanently adopt the policy.

We've also created a basic template from our policy so that you can download and have a read of your own! We encourage you to think about adopting or trialling a similar policy in your own workplace - as the saying goes "no pain, no gain!"

Click the link below to download our policy template!

https://showcaseworkshop.com/user-guides/TEMPLATE-Showcase-Workshop-Wellness-Policy.docx