Our personal and colleagues’ health and welfare are certainly top of all our agendas in the current climate. That’s why our colleagues in Italy, Russia and Poland made an extra effort during Wellness Week in June to share the importance of mental and physical wellbeing. They did this by organizing exciting (COVID-safe) activities and webinars, and even supporting their Charity Partners along the way!
A Focus on Fitness and Food in Italy
In Italy, the seeds of the Wellness Week idea had already been sown when part of the team across several Italian sites united for a successful Easter Charity Partner initiative.
This true ‘One PPG’ and caring for others approach enabled many employees to choose fresh fruits, healthy snacks and join various activities aimed at wellness and well-being. The Casaletto Vaprio site even provided ice-lollies during the very hot months of June and July.
The Brescia, Casaletto Vaprio, Caivano, Cavallirio, Lainate, Milan and Quattordio sites offered a yoga and Pilates program. Participants were invited to join 8 x 1-hour video lessons, with the teacher being available to respond to questions at any time. Many enjoyed this activity as they could do it at home when they wanted and their families could join in too.
In Quattordio and Caivano, the focus of the week was sport. Employees were encouraged to try tennis, aqua gym, yoga, Pilates, football, beach volleyball, paddling, swimming lessons and to participate in a bike tour to the Royal Palace of Caserta.
Coming Together to Spread Wellness and Happiness
Wellness Week was the perfect time for several Italian colleagues to organize a Charity Partner event across various sites. Farm-grown BIO cereals were sold, along with a healthy recipe book containing suggestions on how to cook them, to raise money for GSF (Fondazione Geronimo Stilton), which is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that organizes events to help pediatric hospitals through their “Smile and Change the World” project.
The idea came about after we all worked together for the Easter initiative. In Italy, we usually try to combine our Charity Partner program with wellness values and important sustainability values.
Alessandra Pozzi, communication manager and CSR coordinator Italy
Poland Puts Health at the Top of the Agenda
In Poland, colleagues at the Wroclaw and Cieszyn sites received wellness-oriented emails and an invitation to take part in daily activities that dealt with the themes of moving more, relaxation and self-care, friends and wellbeing, digital detoxing, dealing with fear of missing out (FOMO), and healthy eating.
Activities included a step competition, webinars and a creative photo contest. On the last day, employees were gifted a cookbook with light and healthy summer recipes.
For the first time in a long time, I could sit down with my colleagues, eat delicious fruits and vegetables, and have fun. The activities were an interesting and creative break from our daily routine.
Marcin Strzelecki, customer service department manager
The Cieszyn site also organized a six-person football tournament and are planning fishing competitions in September.
The Lewkowiec site spread their Wellness Week activities across the year – offering medical exams to employees, rewarding those who regularly cycle to work with gift cards (around 30% of their staff gets to work by bike!), and holding a steps challenge via Movello (an app that counts steps and donates to NGOs). The winner managed 121,665 steps in a week!
Eating and Living Well in Russia
Wellness Week activities in Russia had to be tailored to the worsening COVID situation there. Despite this, three sites – Lipetsk, Moscow and Kolomna – were able to organize daily healthy breakfasts for employees as well as online and in-person health-related lectures. All three sites were invited to a virtual lecture about healthy eating habits given by a professional nutritionist.
The Kolomna site was able to dedicate time to group outdoor yoga and stretching. The Moscow site also organized Nordic walking sessions, which proved very popular!
At Lipetsk, Wellness Week organizers invited professional trainers and a doctor to talk about sport in daily life, the wellbeing of body-mind-spirit, massage techniques, smoking, vitamins and COVID-related issues. The local Young Professionals Network (YPN) team challenged employees to a running, step and squat competition, the winners of which were awarded prizes.
As one of the organizers of Wellness Week, I really appreciate this initiative as a great opportunity to talk about health from different points of view, to show different types of activities which can lead to a long and happy life.
Maria Baumann, HR generalist