We partnered with Quantum Workplace, a leading workplace survey and employee feedback technology company, to find out exactly what motivates employees to be their best. We analyzed feedback from nearly 2,000 survey responses to produce the report “Workplace Well-Being: Provide Meaningful Benefits to Energize Employee Health, Engagement, and Performance.” Check out our top level findings and read through our workplace well-being blog series as we unpack the data.
We all know the benefits of regular exercise abound – from overall fitness, mental clarity, stress relief and more. But does exercise impact employee engagement? In our recent research collaboration with Quantum Workplace we found that regular exercise outside of work has actually little to no direct impact on employee engagement. In fact, in comparison to those who exercise regularly and those who don’t, there is less than a two percent difference for each engagement profile.
So is fitness still important? Absolutely! Here’s why:
What does this mean for you?
Your employee engagement is not dependent on whether your employees choose to be fit. But you can drive engagement by giving employees freedom throughout the workday to take breaks for healthy activities that can boost their mood, reduce stress and foster a sense of freedom and control over their workload and work schedule. In fact, employees are 18.1 percent more engaged when they have time for healthy activities at work.
Making time for healthy activities at work requires little investment and can have a huge impact on your culture. Some of our favorites at Limeade include: “Flash Fitness” (push ups, planks or wall sits), walking meetings, yoga, scooter races and offering time on a treadmill or bike desk.
Want to learn more about the current state of employee well-being and engagement? Download the full report, including resources for building a successful employee engagement program.