Many companies have transitioned to agile working patterns. This has an array of benefits for employees, including a positive impact on their health and wellbeing. GatenbySanderson has always been an advocate for agile working (one of the reasons our employees value the company and choose to stay), even before lockdown transformed the workforce forever.
The benefits of agile working
At GS, where you work is your decision. Because we’re a primarily remote working organisation, we encourage our colleagues to be active. We have offices across the country for team members to use as they wish. This allows them to break up their routine and communicate with other colleagues in person.
Moving around is proven to help reduce stress and anxiety. Whether you’re taking a stroll in your local park, going for a run, or hitting the gym.
How you can stay active when working from home
- Block out time for activity in your calendar. Some people find starting or ending the day with some type of activity helpful.
- Find fun activities that suit your needs and any physical/ medical condition. This can be light movements or stretching out the muscles you use the most.
- Get involved in company-wide activities that give you time to get active.
Our Charity of the Year is YoungMinds, whose mission is to helping young people facing mental health challenges. Part of our initiative to help the charity involves getting colleagues out and more active. One of the ways we are doing this is through the virtual miles challenge where those participating are encouraged to walk as much as they can to raise money for the charity too.
In September of 2023 our colleagues took part in this challenge. We split into groups aiming to walk at least 421 miles to raise funds and commemorate Alzheimer’s Awareness Month (the distance outlined on this map!). It was a successful and well-received event and we’re excited to be running it once again.
We’re committed to helping colleagues stay active physically and virtually. For Mental Health Awareness Week, our Race Affinity Group and our Mental Health First Aiders brought back the fantastic Safari Fitness class. This was a virtual event, where we had colleagues take part on Zoom. This was a fun way for us to get moving and also promote inclusivity.
Our Mental Health First Aiders also introduced a challenge encouraging colleagues to suggest walking meetings. Traditional meetings that have us sitting at our desks all day can be exhausting. This challenge meant our colleagues had the opportunity to move, enjoy some sunshine (when it appeared), and support their overall wellbeing.
Diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our culture. By offering the level of flexibility that comes with an agile working pattern, we can meet the requirements or adjustments necessary for our people to balance their well-being and caring responsibilities with their commitment to work. Courage is a core value at GS and we are proud to live up to this value with a bolder approach than most companies could, or are prepared to, consider. We will continue to encourage and promote a work life that is best suited to our people.