Commitment to Employee Health

Doing something for one’s own health – many of ACONEXT’s employees have undertaken to do just this in the coming weeks. And the company will support them in the process: Together with more than 1,000 companies worldwide ACONEXT is taking part – for the very first time – in the Global Corporate Challenge©, a successful programme to promote occupational health.

The programme is designed to last three months and motivates the participants to fulfil a daily level of physical activity which they set themselves. The concept is simple – each participant records his or her activity using a pedometer and everything is added up in the respective team. So that the participants are not short-changed as far as entertainment is concerned, in addition to counting the steps, the steps taken are converted into a fictitious trip around the globe. So whoever moves more in daily life makes better headway on this round-the-world trip and reaches new virtual destinations. Because the participants are competing in teams, the co-operative friendly competition provides additional motivation to pay attention to more movement in daily life.

Highly-motivated participants

The response in the company is very good. Together with about 50,000 teams from all over the world one third of the employees at five locations have embarked upon the virtual journey.

“I never expected that so many colleagues would sign up,” says Thomas Köhler, After Sales Consultant in Fellbach. It was his suggestion to take part in the GCC. Like many people he carries out his job to a large extent from his desk. But now, through GCC, there is movement in the office. “The challenge only started a few days ago but we are already noticing that it is having a positive effect on our behaviour. We are paying more attention to our daily activities, are not taking the lift and are sometimes going out as a team at lunchtime”.

In addition there is a healthy dose of ambition as, in the end, one wants to perform well compared to the other teams and locations. And in a bad patch the team colleagues can motivate one another. Thomas Köhler knows that “Team spirit is the keyword”.

Management is convinced, too

The suggestion to participate came from an employee but Management also welcomes the programme. Gerhard Schummer, the Managing Director of ACONEXT, thinks that, “Via this initiative we would like to promote the awareness of our employees in their own health. Of course, the company also benefits because the workforce is fitter and more active. But the personal welfare of our colleagues is most important to us as our main focus is on people. It thus gives us all the more pleasure that by implementing the programme we were able to put an idea which came from the workforce into practice.” It goes without saying that Gerhard Schummer is also taking part in the Challenge.

GCC stands for Global Corporate Challenge©. The programme started in Melbourne, Australia, in 2003. In the meantime GCC works with companies around the world, trying to improve the health and performance of employees which concurrently leads to healthier operating results. Further information can be found on the GCC-Website.