Leading the race for workplace wellness
Greater Manchester Wellbeing Series has teamed up with Upturn to help solve Britain’s soaring sick day crisis – starting with Oldham.
Surveys show that the average worker now has two weeks off ill in any given year, costing businesses a staggering £100 billion annually.
The GM Wellbeing Series contains events encouraging healthy behaviours using the most accessible and inclusive tools at our disposal: walking, running, meditation and mindfulness sessions to break the cycle, and inspire a nation. The Greater Manchester Wellbeing Series even promises to beat loneliness at work – after a post COVID survey showed that one in two employees felt isolated in their workplace.
And with support of Spindles shopping centre-based Upturn who run a raft of community initiatives, they are determined to reach every corner of Oldham and make wellbeing accessible for all.
“At present, some bigger companies will offer an App to employees for them to check their wellbeing and get expert advice” said Nick Rusling, Founder of the Greater Manchester Wellbeing Series, “but the fact is, only 8% of those staff actually engage with them. This Wellbeing Series is tailored to people to take part with colleagues and costs the boss a pittance compared to the price of sickness. In fact, every £1 invested in employee wellbeing returns £5 in performance and retention.”
Through nutrition projects such as Tangerine – aimed at older Bangladeshi men – to the mindfulness sessions they hold at their Hive hub for women in business, Upturn were the natural choice to promote the programme throughout the borough.
Anwar Ali OBE, the Managing Director of Upturn added: “As an organisation batting for business in Oldham, we want them to succeed and not have to be crippled with costs. Even more importantly, we strive to enable all individuals to achieve their maximum potential at work and in their lives. Sickness can be such a barrier to that.
From the outside, Oldham may appear a real melting pot of cultures, but we are confident we can reach all of its communities and ensure better physical and mental health for all.”
Nick’s first goal is to encourage the workforce across Oldham to alert their bosses about the scheme. He is also keen to highlight that some activities would be online and that meditation would be useful “not woo woo or spiritual,” meaning no one would be precluded from it.
Nick was the former organiser of the Manchester Marathon and Half Marathon and has already worked extensively across Greater Manchester. Recognising that Oldham was a different borough and unique challenge, he added, “the one thing you learn straight away about Oldham is that it is a family and there are a lot of good people here!”
Upturn’s Hive offers large and small business space to hold meetings and events and even co-locate in their impressive offices. To learn more about it go to https://hiveoldham.co.uk/about
