Australian workplaces need to prioritise employee wellbeing with only 1 in 2[1] employees feeling confident their workplace is mentally ‘healthy’. An Australian technology innovation company is looking to lead the charge by putting their employee’s mental health and wellbeing first, starting with a corporate conscience yoga program.
STULZ Australia has teamed up with The Yoga Foundation to deliver a fortnightly tailored program designed to support their employee’s general health and wellness while at work. The program will include desk exercises and poses which will help reverse the effects of sitting, breath work to help manage anxiety and stress, mindfulness techniques to energise and aid focus, and tools to help them sleep better.
The yoga program launches this week to coincide with Mental Health Week and is part of the company’s health and wellness program which focuses on five key elements – career, social, financial, mind and body, and community.
“This year, STULZ Australia embarked on designing a bespoke and holistic wellbeing program and yoga was something that the teams were keen to explore,” says Katrina Crittendon, People and Culture Manager at STULZ Australia.
“We’re holding our yoga classes during the working day as we believe our employees will get the most benefit this way. We’re confident the program will have a positive impact on the lives of STULZ employees from making them feel happier and engaged, to building relationships with colleagues.”
The Yoga Foundation runs corporate yoga programs with a number of Australian businesses, which in turn fund yoga classes for vulnerable people experiencing disadvantage and mental illness. Each company can designate a charity or vulnerable social group they would like to support.
Jessica Hobson, General Manager of The Yoga Foundation, says: “Yoga – which includes movement, breathing, mindfulness, and meditation – is known to have many benefits including managing stress, improving focus, supporting better sleep, calming the mind, releasing tension, body awareness and boosting energy. All these benefits are essential to healthy and well employees.
“We have been working with STULZ to create a bespoke program that matches the needs of their employees, culture, and work environment – all with a corporate social responsibility element.”
John Jakovcevic, Managing Director of STULZ Australia, says: “Investing in our employees has always been a priority for STULZ, and we’ve chosen their health and
wellbeing as a big focus for this year. We believe that by making a very beneficial long-term investment to the culture of our organisation, we will have profound positive effects.”
[1] https://www.headsup.org.au/docs/default-source/resources/bl1270-report---tns-the-state-of-mental-health-in-australian-workplaces-hr.pdf?sfvrsn=8