Office Worker Health — Office Worker Health

Who to Watch in Workplace Wellness in Ireland in 2019

There’s been some really positive progress in the health promotion landscape in Irish workplaces in recent years. Companies are slowly beginning to move away from box ticking wellness initiatives and two healthy workplace accreditations have been launched (with a third on the way) that promote a longer-term approach to workplace health promotion. There’s still a considerable way to go if we want to catch up with our international counterparts, particularly in the US, but there’s no doubt we are on the right path.

I see 2019 as an important year for health promotion in Irish workplaces. I’d love to see Ireland lead the way and develop a world class ecosystem for workplace health promotion and I don’t see why we can’t. I’m doing my bit with the Workplace Wellness Ireland community which is going from strength to strength with a very exciting schedule of events planned this year.

Office Wellbeing, Workplace WellnessBrian14 January 2019who to watch, 2019 trends, workplace wellness irelandComment

The Only Resolution You Need in 2019

As we enter a new year I see all the usual talk of new year goals and healthy resolutions. Having something to aim for is a good thing and I encourage everyone to take a little time to think about what they want to achieve in 2019. What I don’t like seeing is the inevitable updates three weeks in to the year where many resolutions are now on life support or have fallen by the wayside altogether. Perhaps it’s the case that the resolutions being set are too big a leap and are not realistic for the individual to maintain.

New Year Resolution, Workplace WellnessBrian1 January 2019Comment

Review of the first parkHIIT Corporate Challenge

I love the Grant Thornton 5K and wanted to do something similar that promoted the importance of resistance training in the corporate world. I teamed up with Ronan Mahon of Movement Fitness for the first parkHIIT Corporate Challenge which started in mid-October 2018 and ran for 4 weeks on Tuesday and Thursday evenings in Ballsbridge. Companies participating in the inaugural challenge included Ibec (who had 13 participants!), AIB, Ernst and Young, Allianz and Just Eat as well as teams of individuals including representatives from Facebook, Arup Engineering and LinkedIn among others.

Review: Workplace Wellness Ireland - November Event

The second Workplace Wellness Ireland meet up took place on November 13th at the Bank of Ireland, Grand Canal Square. Demand was high with all available tickets reserved within 48 hours of release! The atmosphere and energy in the room was fantastic. A huge thanks to everyone for giving up their time on a weekday evening to attend the event.

I kicked off proceedings by welcoming everyone and re-sharing the community values. A quick show of hands revealed there was a fairly even split of those in attendance for the first time and returning attendees.

Video Highlights of Workplace Wellness Ireland Launch Event

Delighted to be able to share the highlights of the launch event for the Workplace Wellness Ireland community which took place on September 4th. I’m busy preparing for our next meet up on November 13th so it’s nice to reflect back on what was a really great evening. For a full review of the September 4th event you can click here.

Workplace Wellness, Office WellbeingBrian10 October 2018workplace wellness Ireland, workwellireland, HR, human resourcesComment

Review of The First Workplace Wellness Ireland Meet Up

On Tuesday September 4th we held the inaugural meet up of the Workplace Wellness Ireland community at the Bank of Ireland in Grand Canal Square in Dublin. I was blown away by the attendance and by the positive feedback following the event. The atmosphere and energy in the room was something I had hoped for so it was extremely pleasing to see my expectations not only met but exceeded on the night. Thanks to everyone that came along and contributed to the positivity.

Workplace Wellness Ireland - Our First Meet Up

It feels like we are on the crest of a wave with workplace wellness in Ireland. Lots of companies are talking about it, millenials are specifically seeking out employers with wellness programmes in place and three healthy workplace accreditations are being launched on the island of Ireland within the space of twelve months.

There was a gaping hole though. Where could an Irish employer go to find out where to start with a wellness programme or how to improve one? How could they learn from Irish companies that have developed successful programmes? Where could they hear about mistakes made and lessons learned? Who could best support their organisation’s specific needs in this area?

Schedule Exercise Into Your Working Day

Finding the time, energy and motivation to exercise is one of the great challenges faced by the busy office worker. I've found that juggling work, family and social commitments with your health goals requires dedication, planning and preparation. I haven't discovered a 25th hour in the day but there are some simple tactics that I employ to find the time to exercise during my working week.

Workplace Wellness, Office Wellbeing, Morning RoutineBrian2 August 2018exercise, health, fitness, workplace wellness, corporate healthComment

3 Things That Must Be In Place BEFORE Commencing a Wellness Programme

Last week I wrote about where to get started with a wellness programme for the workplace. The response has been fantastic so it's clear there is genuine interest in this area at present. In keeping with this theme and understanding that not everyone has time to read a full article I've put together a short video that reiterates the 3 key takeaways from the article.

Workplace Wellness: Where Do We Start?

There’s quite the buzz about workplace wellness at the moment. Organisations of all sizes are switching on to the fact that healthy and happy employees have a positive impact on company culture, morale, engagement and productivity. Ensuring the wellbeing of staff can increase employee attraction and retention, reduce levels of absenteeism, improve team spirit and reduce costs. Why then are so many companies reluctant to start a wellness programme? And for those that have started, how come so many of them have been unsuccessful?