Wellness Day 2016
Our wonderful HR team
On 15 March 2016 our ninth annual Wellness Day was held in collaboration with Discovery Health. One of our strategic focuses is to encourage balance and wellness among our staff. The purpose of the day is to encourage all staff (both those on medical aid and the uninsured), to complete the various screening tests available. Over 400 staff were invited to participate in the Discovery Wellness Experience which included assessing their blood pressure, glucose levels, cholesterol and body mass index along with the option to complete HIV testing as well. Through our onsite clinic sister, staff employed by our various outsourced service providers are also able to complete the same wellness screening tests. Although they are not employed by St Stithians, they still form part of our community and their wellness is also important to us.
The first step in the process was to sign up
Over and above the various screenings, a number of exhibitors were present to provide information and support to staff, these included Vision On Site, who conducted free eye tests, Hands on Treatment, who offered staff a free back and neck massage, Virgin Active - Bryanston, the Tissue Bank from Pretoria University, Old Mutual, Interface Financial Services, Way to Wellness Bootcamp, Sh’zen, Demalogica, BeeWise Dietician, Urban Fitness Outdoor, JLT Healthcare Consultants. The two College physiological support departments joined forces and had information available to staff relating to managing stress. On arrival, each staff member received a goodie bag to take away with them, there were also various lucky draws which staff could win. One of our Alumnae parents, Jenny Fieldgate from RUB also generously provided all attendees with a R100 off voucher for a facial.
At the end of the Discovery assessments, staff were given glass water bottles and goodie bags
We are privileged to work in a beautiful environment which supports our wellness initiatives. In 2013, the College joined the Discovery Healthy School programme and two of our schools were awarded the status of a Vitality Healthy School. Through this programme the tuck shop menus have been revamped and offer a range of nutritious, low GI meal options. Furthermore, staff have the benefit of a selection of healthy sandwiches and salads being delivered to their schools/offices on a daily basis at very reasonable prices. The College is very much a community-based school whereby staff have access to use the various facilities available including the Aquatics Centre, squash courts and exercise tracks, many of which are at no additional cost. Parents also have access to these facilities at a nominal fee. This all contributed to us being voted runner up in all categories of the 2014 Discovery Healthy Company Index.
Staff could also see a representative from Occuhealth
More than 90% of our staff are non-smokers which helped us to secure second position as the most smoke-free environment in the same competition. Working in such a beautiful environment, being surrounded by children all day and a growing awareness of the risks associated with smoking, has led to a number of staff actually choosing to stop smoking in the last few years.
One of the challenges of working in our environment is the number of hardworking and driven individuals. Our staff are passionate about what they do and give their all on a daily basis to their customers, be they parents, other staff or the 2 600 children in their care. Being in a people/child focused business is extremely tiring and at times emotionally draining as staff are faced with not only their only personal stress and issues but, those of the children in their care. Teachers, specifically, do run the risk of pushing themselves too far, which can be seen in the growing percentage of staff who suffer from at least four health risk factors, including not finding time to exercise, and consistently eating on the run. Financial and emotional wellbeing have a direct impact on an employee’s ability to function productively at work. Through our relationships with service providers like JLT, Interface and our in-house counsellors and psychologists, staff have access to a range of wellness services at no cost to them directly.
The Wellness Wheel that our HR team use as representation of the various aspects of our wellness programme. The slogan was developed by our HR team as an extension of our strategic intent.
Being voted runners up in the Healthy Company Index is a great achievement and testimony that our initiatives are effective and our staff value the efforts we are making to look after their overall well-being. It is important however not to rest on our laurels and to continue to find ways of ensuring our programs best suit the needs of the various categories of staff and continuously improve on what we currently do and better harness the amazing environment we call our office.
Article by Kim Urquhart, Head of Human Resources
