It was a month when I had a good leg pain. “I went to the 4 am at night and walked at 1:30 to go home, we pushed the challenge to the extreme,” Leila smiles* today.
Like many companies in recent years, his employer has organized a feet challenge that the young city planner has registered with his colleagues. “At first, we did it to see, and very quickly we entered the game, it really created a team spirit among us,” he recalls.
For a month, the objective was to make the greatest possible step, counted thanks to a request. The employees gathered in teams and could make challenges every week to win even more points. Enough to access the competitive spirit of some.
“Instead of having a drink, we walk 1h30 in the rain”
In a few days, the young woman changed her habits: an hour to walk in the morning to go to work, rebel at the end of the day to return, not forgetting the digestive trip at night. At least 2:30 hours of walking per day during the week (sometimes more on weekends).
There is no more matter of taking the bus or the subway, any trip or free moment becomes an opportunity to explode the PAS counter, and this at all times. “Give funny situations, a girlfriend visited me in Paris, instead of having a drink, we walk 1h30 in the rain,” Leïla recalls.
And the young woman is not the only one to take the competition seriously. “The weekend I found Asnières to Bercy, 13 kilometers, to meet the objectives,” recalls Guillaume, designer of an industrial equipment provider.
In his company, which has several sites in Europe, all employees were invited to participate in a feet challenge.
“Positive effects on absenteeism”
Despite the pains, the employees interviewed by BFM Business have a very good memory. “At noon, everyone only talks about that, there was a euphoric atmosphere,” Leila recalls.
Valérie Le Bris, DRH in Procter & Gamble (which markets the brands Gilette, Pampers, Ariel, Oral-B …) has also established this challenge in his group. “Everyone put themselves in sport at their level according to their skills,” she says.
And the benefits feel immediately, according to Geoffrey Fournier, HRD in Snow Group, a spas manufacturer. “In my previous business, I had established this challenge and we have directly seen a positive effect on productivity, well -being and assistance, he says. I did not think it would be seen at this time.”
If it is difficult to make causes of cause and effect, he claims to have observed “a reduction in the absenteeism rate of 1.5 points, while the company was already in good proportions.” In addition, a renewed interest for the sports courses offered by the Works Council was observed. The HRD intends to repeat the experience in its new company in the coming months.
Intrusion in privacy, denunciation, surveillance …
But obviously, these types of devices include their part in a way. Leila significantly highlights the risk that the challenge is taking too much in privacy. In his business, he had to synchronize his steps at the end of the week. “The risk is to send a message to a colleague on Sunday night to remind him to load his steps, otherwise all the efforts of the week are lost,” he says.
For Gautier, an employee in a financial public institution, this challenge has also created small tensions. “I remember that some were moaning, they said that the participants of other teams were cheating, there was a complaint,” he recalls. “At the same time, it is true that a participant was 50 kilometers a day, it seems impossible …”
Despite these small referrals, this challenge was a great experience for the employees interviewed. “It made it possible for everyone to be aware of the walk, and then the steps taken were transformed into donations for an association,” says Gautier. “And then walking through a good cause is always a good idea!”
* The first name has been changed
Source: BFM TV
