What could you be doing to contribute to a healthy workplace? To be healthier? The UBC Healthy Workplace Initiatives Program Fund offers funding to support departments/units to create healthier workplaces at UBC.
Recently, our office applied for and won a $5,000 grant to improve awareness of the importance of physical activity and health in the workplace. The grant program, called the Healthy Workplace Initiatives Program (HWIP) Fund, provides up to $5,000 dollars per department to undertake a
Our particular application contained a proposal for a pedometer challenge, a cooking class for office staff as well as group yoga. The details on all our facets are still forthcoming and will be rolling out throughout the year, but the we are going to kick off our program with the pedometer challenge throughout the summer. By providing staff with incentives to log as many steps as possible during the summer months, we hope that we can encourage everyone to bring a renewed vigor for exercise to work now that the weather is a bit more cooperative.
We have established a small working group of six staff members to help solicit feedback from staff as well as explore the different options for each facet of the program. As more decisions are made, expect to hear about them here!
This initiative is just one way we hope to start encouraging healthy behaviour change in the UBC community. How will you encourage your office to be healthier this year?