Mehiläinen invests in the well-being and physical activity of its employees in a diverse way

The purpose of the challenge is to encourage Finns to exercise and interact. The lack of exercise in working-age people and the costs incurred as a result, as well as increased remote work, are a serious matter from the point of view of both individual well-being and society. The exercise challenge prompted further reflection on Mehiläinen’s actions and role in supporting the physical activity of its employees. Individual campaigns and challenges are important – they allow us to deeply reflect on a specific topic.

Mehiläinen encourages its personnel to exercise regardless of the location and work task

Mehiläinen recognises the importance of exercise. In 2020, the role of physical activity as a part of occupational well-being was strengthened when Mehiläinen introduced a new position to the company: Occupational Well-being and Exercise Manager. Johanna Tokola, an exercise professional, started in the role with the main goal of developing occupational well-being through exercise. The ‘Mehiläinen liikkuu’ entity first began to be built around a pilot project on support services and later expanded into a group-wide programme.

Mehiläinen employs nearly 30,000 people across Finland, ranging from shift work to office work and from physically demanding work to expert tasks. In such a large group of people, the employees’ exercise habits are also very different.

“Due to the different nature of the work tasks, we organise, for example, remote workout classes that are recorded and made available for the whole Group. This way, as many people as possible have the opportunity to utilise the classes and office workouts. We also organise weekly classes for support service office workers, and many units have staff-led exercise groups. We strongly encourage the staff to exercise during breaks, during the working day and in their free time. It is important to actively communicate to the staff about the opportunities available. Unfortunately, the services offered by the company are often lost under all the other information in a hurry,” says Johanna.

Adopting new workout classes and wellness lectures also takes time for the staff. However, the most important thing is to continue to organise activities regularly, to advertise the workouts and lectures, and to keep reminding the employees of the opportunities available. Sometimes, though, you have to accept that not all ideas work in practice.

“I started my work in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic changed the plans many times, but we never stopped organising classes completely. In terms of guided classes, I had to learn what works and what doesn’t through trial and error. The employees were initially really interested and taken to new opportunities, but sometimes I still found myself in class alone or with one person. When I decided to stop organising a specific class, I got a lot of messages from participants who hoped the class would continue to be provided. I understood then that many people have a desire to participate, even if they don’t always manage to follow through,” Johanna says.

Tokola is also responsible for giving various lectures on the importance of nutrition, recovery and, for example, sleep. Various wellness campaigns and team challenges are also on her drawing board. In November, a year-long exercise campaign was launched for Mehiläinen’s staff in cooperation with HeiaHeia.

“In our experience, campaigns implemented through HeiaHeia often reach and activate even those that may not otherwise be very active. Campaigns also boost team spirit, and encouraging each other plays a big role in campaigns. The goal of next year’s campaign is to highlight everyday exercise and short exercise breaks during the day,” says Johanna.

In the ‘Mehiläinen liikkuu’ campaign, staff fill out an electronic physical activity card in the HeiaHeia app. The goal is to be physically active for an average of 20 minutes a day throughout the year. In addition, the app provides information on the health effects of physical activity, gives concrete exercise tips, and directs the user to various services offered by occupational health, such as digitally supported coaching. Through the app, it is also possible to make it visible to the employee whether the exercise recommendations are met during the week and whether the exercise is sufficiently versatile.

The ‘Mehiläinen liikkuu’ campaign for the coming year is one of Mehiläinen’s ways to challenge its staff to exercise. Tokola believes that from the point of view of work ability, the employer has the right to demand that the employee takes care of their overall health and, as a result, maintains their work ability. In her opinion, this also means that the employer should enable and support the staff’s physical well-being. According to Johanna, it is important to consider who is responsible for the staff’s physical activity and well-being: is someone on the employer’s end responsible for the whole or does the responsibility fall on the employees?

What actions has your company taken to increase the physical activity of employees? Share your tips on social media using the hashtags #mehilänen #liikkumishaaste