Latrobe Valley Bus Lines driving positive change among employees
Thursday 12 September, 2019
The Latrobe Valley Bus Lines staff making the most of new gym equipment
Latrobe Valley Bus Lines is dedicated to providing a healthier environment for its staff. Being physically active while at work can be challenging, due to the sedentary nature of their job, but the company has broken down this barrier by offering opportunities for staff to incorporate more activity into their day.
Since implementing its strategy, which included a range of initiatives aimed at instilling healthy habits, the bus company has attained recognition for the Achievement Program’s ‘Physical Activity’ Health Priority Area. The company has fitted out an onsite gym including treadmills, exercise bikes, table tennis tables and sporting equipment to help employees get moving.
On top of this staff are encouraged to get moving through their ‘Walk for a Coffee’ incentive. The office also has ‘standing’ workstations and leaflets that highlight exercises that can be undertaken on the bus during mini breaks.
The Achievement Program supports workplaces to create healthy cultures and environments through best-practice benchmarks, practical steps and easy-to-use tools and resources.
Latrobe Valley Bus Lines’ Human Resources and Marketing Manager Ashley Brill says she has noticed a positive change among staff since making small adjustments to encourage them to get active.
“Looking at things differently and actually making it easier for our workers to incorporate physical activity into their day has meant they have more energy and are happier as a result.”
“It’s changed the whole culture of the company as our workers are taking the initiative to get more exercise into their daily routine. Some have joined local sporting clubs while others are embracing the beautiful walking trails on our doorstep.”
Beyond its physical activity strategy, Latrobe Valley Bus lines has organised the following initiatives to encourage their staff to prioritise their own health and wellbeing:
- Membership at the local bowling club where staff can play socially for free
- A monthly calendar detailing local sporting, social and health events
- A company app that provides information on health and wellbeing
- A Facebook page that promotes health and wellbeing in the local area
- Free health checks for staff.
Head of the Achievement Program Tope Adepoyibi says Latrobe Valley Bus lines has provided a fantastic example for other Victorian workplaces given the recently released Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Plan 2019–2023, which calls on workplaces to create healthy working environments through evidence-based actions such as those implemented as part of the Achievement Program.
“Empowering employees to be more physically active doesn’t just make them feel better, it also promotes a healthy workplace which is a good long-term investment, given the evidence that healthy employees are nearly three times more productive. Latrobe Valley Bus lines should be proud of what they have accomplished.”